Egypt builds mysterious wall near Gaza

Satellite image shows the border area between Egypt and the Gaza Strip (Photo: Maxar).

The New York Times on February 16 cited satellite images showing that an area between Egypt and the Gaza city of Rafah has been dug up and a wall is rising.

The wall will block off a 5-square-kilometer (2-square-mile) area in the buffer zone near Gaza's southern border, an unnamed contractor commissioned by the Egyptian military said. The wall will be about 5 meters (16 feet) high.

Egyptian officials have refused to discuss what the construction is or what its purpose is, but some sources say it could be a security buffer zone Egypt is building to prepare for a wave of Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip if Israel pushes ahead with its ground offensive.

The construction activity appears to have begun in early February, when the Israeli military showed signs of preparing to launch a major assault on Rafah, an estimated 1.4 million Gazans have taken refuge in Rafah since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out in October last year, the New York Times reported.

Egypt insists that Israel is not forcing Palestinian refugees into its territory. However, with civilians crowding into Rafah and Israel vowing to eliminate Hamas, Egypt is clearly preparing for the possibility of a major humanitarian crisis.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/ai-cap-xay-buc-tuong-bi-an-gan-gaza-20240217150400929.htm