Egypt Objects to Israel's "Retention" of Rafah and Threatens to Review "Camp David"

SadaNews - A well-informed Egyptian source involved in the ongoing indirect negotiations in Doha between Israel and Hamas reported that Cairo has officially expressed its objection to the map of the Israeli occupation forces' redeployment in the Gaza Strip, which includes maintaining military presence in Rafah province in the southern sector. This was reported by the "Al-Arabi Al-Jadid" website today, Sunday.

The source explained that the Egyptian security delegation participating in the mediation considered the Israeli plan a direct threat to Egyptian national security, noting that the Israeli project is based on establishing a tent city along the Egyptian border in Rafah, which could lead to a dense gathering of Palestinians in this sensitive area due to aid distribution mechanisms, an issue the source described as a "human bomb on the borders of Egypt."

Regarding the "Camp David" agreement signed in 1979, the source indicated that the presence of occupation forces in the "Salah al-Din" corridor (Philadelphi) constitutes a clear violation of the security appendices, emphasizing that Cairo has repeatedly warned against tampering with the agreement and that it is ready to reconsider it should violations recur.

He added that Egypt has already deployed forces and heavy weapons in area (C) of Sinai, despite being within the range of security restrictions, noting this is a "response to Israeli violations," stressing that "Egypt will not stand idly by if the threat reaches a level that directly affects its national security."

The source also mentioned that Egypt has filed an official complaint to the joint military coordination committee concerned with security arrangements at the borders, protesting the establishment of an aid distribution point belonging to the "Gaza Humanitarian Foundation" near its borders with the sector, considering it an attempt to pressure the population towards Sinai through indirect means.

According to the source, the Israeli plan aims to reduce the population of the sector by nearly half by forcing them to migrate southward to a specified area between the "Morag" and "Philadelphi" axes, through field pressure and cutting off livelihoods, potentially leading to waves of "voluntary or forced" migration.