Egypt's unexpected move against Palestinian refugees
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Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi suggested relocating Palestinians affected by Tel Aviv's war on Gaza to the Negev desert instead of asking Cairo to accommodate them. This proposal was made on Day 11 of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as Cairo did not open the gates of the only Rafah border crossing to allow Gazans to seek refuge in Cairo.
During a media address alongside visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Sisi explained, "There is the Negev desert in Israel. The Palestinians can be moved to the Negev desert until Israel completes its objectives with the military operatives in the Gaza Strip, at which point the Palestinians can return."
Sisi expressed Egypt's opposition to hosting Palestinians in the Sinai Peninsula, stating, "If the Palestinians are transferred to Egypt, the Israeli military operation may continue for an extended period. In such a scenario, Egypt would bear the consequences, and Sinai could become a base for operations against Israel, resulting in Egypt being labeled as a base for terrorists."
Sisi also asserted that Israel's complete blockade of Gaza was a strategy to compel Palestinians to relocate to the Sinai Peninsula.
He added, "Israel's actions, such as cutting power, water, and electricity, are intended to forcibly transfer Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula, a proposal that Egypt strongly opposes."
