ISRAEL’s determination to launch a ground operation in the Southern Gaza City of Rafah has not only sparked warnings from several countries but also challenged its relationship with its close ally the United States.
Videos released by the non-government organization Sinai Foundation for Human Rights revealed extensive construction work in Egypt’s North Sinai province which involved heavy machinery and trucks.
The monitoring group said the workers appear to be building high concrete walls inside an isolated buffer zone along its border with Gaza to house Palestinian refugees. The governor of North Sinai denied reports of building a security buffer zone to house Palestinians and stressed that Egypt is preparing for all scenarios in the event of Israel’s military invasion in Rafah.
Satellite images also showed the construction work in progress.
The video and satellite images have surfaced amid growing fears Israel will pursue the ground operation despite calls from several nations including its ally the United States. Rafah hosts more than 1.4 million Palestinians seeking refuge from the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to present a plan to evacuate the civilians in Rafah before targeting the last strongholds of Hamas allegedly based in southern Gaza City.
In a recent phone call, U.S. President Joe Biden told Netanyahu that a military operation should not proceed without a solid plan that will ensure the safety of civilians in Rafah.
