Topline
Egypt is setting up a camp near its border with Gaza as a contingency for a potential exodus of Palestinians from the enclave due to an Israeli assault on Rafah—the border region where more than half of Gaza’s population is taking refuge—Reuters reported.
Key Facts
Citing four unnamed sources, Reuters reported Egypt is preparing a “desert area with some basic facilities” to shelter potential refugees as a “temporary and precautionary measure,” but is hopeful that ceasefire talks can prevent such an exodus.
The report noted that Egypt has officially denied making any such preparations, in line with the official public stance that it is vehemently opposed to the displacement of Palestinians out of Gaza.
The human rights group, the Sinai Foundation, has shared images of the purported camps, showing trucks and cranes in the area setting up a “high-security area” surrounded by concrete fences.
The New York Times corroborated the images and spoke to contractors at the site who said they had been hired to build a 16-foot-high concrete wall around a five-square-kilometer patch of land near the border.
The satellite company Maxar Technologies has also captured satellite images of a wall being built near the Rafah border.
Egyptian authorities have yet to comment on the construction, and it is unclear if the fenced area will be used to accommodate the reported camp.
Big Number
1.5 million. That is the number of “forcibly displaced” Gazans currently taking refuge in Rafah, according to the U.N.’s Palestinian Rights Committee.
Crucial Quote
U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths warned about the potential impacts of an Israeli ground offensive into Rafah, saying: “The possibility of a military operation in Rafah, with the possibility of the crossing closing down, with the possibility of spillover… a sort of Egyptian nightmare …is one that is right before our eyes,”