Tensions rise as Egypt rejects Netanyahu’s remarks on Rafah crossing

Israeli media outlets, including the news site Mekomet, have reported that war between Israel and Egypt is increasingly viewed as only a matter of time.

According to these reports, there is a strong public and political feeling in Egypt that an open conflict with Israel may soon erupt, following provocative comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about opening the Rafah Crossing to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza.

Netanyahu’s remarks, made during an interview with the Telegram channel Abu Ali Express, sparked unprecedented anger in Egypt. Any attempt to displace Palestinians from Gaza through Egyptian territory is widely seen in Egypt as a red line that cannot be crossed, whether at the official, media, or public level.

The Hebrew report noted that rising tensions between the two countries have dominated Israeli headlines in recent days, as the statements turned into a sharp diplomatic crisis.

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry issued an official statement rejecting the comments, stressing that Egypt will not take part in the displacement of the Palestinian people and will not allow its land to be used as a route for undermining the Palestinian cause.

The Egyptian position also received regional support from countries including Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, which expressed concern over attempts to impose new realities on the ground through forced displacement.