Rafah border crossing

Exchange of fire between Egyptians and Israelis

An Egyptian armored personnel carrier on patrol near the Rafah border crossing

(Bild: APA/AFP/Khaled DESOUKI)

On Monday, there was apparently an exchange of fire between the Israeli and Egyptian armies near the Rafah border crossing. At least one person is said to have been killed.

The incident is being investigated and talks are being held with the neighboring country, the Israeli military announced. According to Israeli media, an Egyptian soldier was also killed in the incident at the Rafah border crossing in the Gaza Strip. 

There was no official confirmation from Egypt. The background is currently unclear. It would be the first dead soldier on the Egyptian side since the start of the Gaza war at the beginning of October.

The situation on the border with Egypt has recently become increasingly tense. Israeli troops advanced further there three weeks ago and took control of the Rafah border crossing on the Palestinian side as well as a border strip between Egypt and Gaza. 

According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, at least 45 Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on Sunday evening, including many women and children. According to Israeli sources, the attack targeted two senior Hamas members. Arab states condemned the attack in strong terms, with Israel's "deliberate bombing of the refugees' tents" representing a "new and blatant violation of international law", criticized the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday morning. Jordan strongly condemned the "blatant disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice".

According to Palestinian reports, at least 45 people were killed in the attack on a refugee camp.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Eyad BABA)

Air attack in Rafah: Hamas suspends negotiations
The Foreign Ministry in Amman described the latest attack as a "heinous war crime by the Israeli occupying forces in the Gaza Strip". Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the "attacks on defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip in the strongest terms". The influential Gulf state categorically rejected Israel's "ongoing flagrant violations" of all international resolutions. Similarly harsh words came from neighboring Kuwait. The foreign ministry there also condemned the attack in the strongest terms.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also sharply criticized the attack, calling it a "massacre" and Israel a "terrorist state". The mediating state of Qatar expressed concern that the attack could hinder efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war. The Foreign Ministry in Doha called on the international community to take urgent measures to prevent the "crime of genocide". In response, Hamas has suspended its participation in the negotiations on a ceasefire, including the release of hostages.

French President Emmanuel Macron: "These operations must stop."

(Bild: AFP/Pool/Christophe Petit Tesson)

Macron calls for an immediate ceasefire
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell called for the implementation of the latest ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt the Israeli offensive in Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. France's head of state Emmanuel Macron also reacted with outrage at Israel. "These operations must stop," Macron wrote on X. "There are no safe zones for Palestinian civilians in Rafah." He called for an immediate ceasefire and full compliance with international law.