An Israeli channel claimed that Egypt is angry over the floating pier that the US built off the coast of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation said, “The Egyptians see the American pier as a direct threat to them,” adding that they “fear that the new pier will become the main commercial corridor for Gaza, and this worries them greatly. They are afraid that the pier will eventually also be used for the crossing of people.”
“Such a step will cause more serious economic damage to Cairo,” it added, noting that “Israel and Egypt are trying to bridge the gaps between them in order to reach understandings about the activity of the Rafah Crossing.”
For its part, Israel’s Channel 2 reported that “since the beginning of the war, Egypt has been in the eye of the storm, as it is geographically close to Gaza, and shares a border with it. It fears the migration or deportation of Palestinians from Gaza to Sinai, which poses a security and human threat to them.”
It noted that there are economic problems resulting from the significant decrease in maritime traffic revenues from the Suez Canal, due to the Houthi attacks in the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, the decrease in tourism, the drop in gas revenues, and the expansion of the war, which led to an increase in prices.
The channel confirmed that the Israelis and Egyptians have succeeded so far in overcoming the obstacles and pitfalls, but they are facing a difficult test, in light of the ongoing military operation in Rafah, which may cast a shadow on relations between the two sides.
READ: UN resumes transporting aid from US-built pier in Gaza