Israel tells Egypt of plan to carry out military operation in Rafah, media says

Israel has informed Egypt of its intention to send troops into Rafah and the Philadelphi Corridor allegedly to rid the area of Palestinian resistance fighters, the occupation state’s Channel 13 reported citing unnamed officials.

It added that Cairo had expressed concern about the plan, warning that such action could lead to a mass Palestinian exodus to Sinai.

However the Israeli sources said this would be a “temporary step” and that “Israel will not remain there after the end of the operation, on which a final decision has not yet been taken.”

The report added that, given the differences in opinion between the two countries, it was decided to establish joint working teams to look into the developments and tense relations between them.

An unnamed senior Israeli official described relations between Israel and Egypt in recent weeks as “very tense,” which is unprecedented in recent years, Channel 13 reported.

The Wall Street Journal has quoted Egyptian sources as saying that relations with Israel are at the worst they have been in the last two decades, and that Egypt has considered recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv.

Last week, Israel’s Channel 13 reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi refused to receive a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, against the backdrop of developments in the Gaza Strip and the possibility of Israel launching a military operation in the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egyptian border.

Watch: Gaza’s young plead with Egyptian soldiers at Rafah border crossing to stop the war