Egypt decides to expand buffer zone with Gaza to 1 kilometre

Egyptian authorities have decided to expand a controversial buffer zone with the Gaza Strip from 500 to 1,000 metres, Arabs 48 news website reported on Monday.

Egypt’s official news agency announced that the new 500-metre expansion is the second stage in a plan that is allegedly aimed to protect Egypt’s national security. The agency claimed that the decision came after the discovery of underground tunnels more than 800 metres long.

The Egyptian regime’s decision to establish a buffer zone has already resulted in the destruction of hundreds of homes along the border with Gaza, which is 13.5 kilometres long.

Thousands of Egyptians have been displaced, sparking international concerns.

Nevertheless, the Egyptian agency reported that, “a few of the remaining homes that were not destroyed the first time around would be demolished soon.”