‘No plan to evacuate Gaza residents towards Egyptian border’

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel has no plans to evacuate the residents of the Gaza Strip towards the Egyptian border, the state media claimed on Sunday.

“The relationship between Israel and Egypt is strategic and important, and the two countries are cooperating to prevent masses of Palestinians in Gaza from storming the border into Sinai,” an unnamed official source told the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation.

“There is no plan to evacuate Palestinians residing in Gaza towards the Rafah area, southern the Gaza Strip, near the Egyptian border.”

The public broadcaster said Tel Aviv may also allow Egypt to establish four new field hospitals in the southern Gaza Strip. The project is expected to be supported by Türkiye, Egypt, Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

Israel resumed its crushing military offensive on the Gaza Strip on December 1 after the end of a week-long suspension.

At least 17,487 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,480 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since October 7 that have utterly devastated the besieged territory.

Under strict surveillance and stripped of all belongings, thousands of displaced Palestinians are heading daily towards areas close to the Egyptian border as the Israeli onslaught escalates to unprecedented proportions its bombing of all cities and towns of Gaza. The “safe zones” have also not been spared, leaving nowhere for desperate people to turn to.

According to UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestinians, nearly 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced since October 7.

Cairo is said to be concerned that Israel will push Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt, and may not allow them to return after the war.