Egypt has started building a wall along its border with the Gaza Strip, according to reports and satellite images, raising questions and concerns about its purpose and implications.
The wall, which is made of concrete and steel, is being constructed along a 14-kilometer (8.5-mile) stretch of the border, near the city of Rafah, which is the only crossing point between Gaza and Egypt.
The wall is reportedly part of a larger project to create a buffer zone and a gated enclosure in the area, which could accommodate more than 1,000,000 people, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The purpose of the wall and the buffer zone remains unclear, leading to speculation that they could be used to hold or prevent those crossing the border, especially in the event of a possible Israeli invasion of Rafah.
The construction of the wall comes amid increased border security and tension in the region, as Israel continues its offensive against Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, and that launched a surprise attack on Israel with rockets and tunnels on Oct. 7.
The offensive, which has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians and 2000 Israelis, according to official sources, has also displaced more than two million Palestinians, who have sought refuge in schools, mosques, and other facilities run by the UN and other aid agencies.
The offensive, which has also destroyed or damaged more than 200,000 homes, as well as schools, hospitals, mosques, and other infrastructure, leaving more than 1,900,000 people homeless and in need of humanitarian assistance, has also sparked protests and solidarity movements around the world, especially in Muslim countries, where many people have expressed their anger and frustration at Israel’s actions and the lack of international intervention.
Egypt’s Role
Egypt, which has a peace treaty with Israel since 1979, has been playing a mediating role in the conflict, and has been trying to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with the support of the US and other countries.
However, Egypt, which also has a hostile relationship with Hamas, and which considers it a terrorist organization, has also been imposing a blockade on Gaza since 2007, along with Israel, restricting the movement of people and goods across the border, and isolating and suffocating the coastal enclave.
Egypt, which has also been facing security and economic challenges in the Sinai Peninsula, where it has been fighting an insurgency by an affiliate of the ISIS group, has also been accused of violating the human rights and the sovereignty of the Palestinians in Gaza, and of collaborating and conspiring with Israel against them.
Egypt, which has not publicly acknowledged or commented on the construction of the wall, has reportedly received help and funding from the US for the project, which is seen as a strategic and security interest for both countries.
The wall, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, has drawn mixed reactions and responses from different parties and stakeholders in Gaza and the region.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank and which is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people, has condemned the wall as a violation of the Palestinian rights and dignity, and as a sign of the Egyptian complicity and betrayal.
Hamas, which has been ruling Gaza since 2007, after ousting the PA in a bloody coup, has also denounced the wall as a crime and a provocation, and has vowed to resist and defy it.
The Palestinian people and the civil society in Gaza have also had different views and opinions on the wall, with some seeing it as a threat and an obstacle, and with others seeing it as a protection and a relief.
The Israeli government and the military have welcomed the wall as a positive and a helpful measure, and have expressed their appreciation and gratitude to Egypt for its cooperation and coordination.
The US government and the international community have also supported the wall as a necessary and a justified action, and have praised Egypt for its role and its efforts in the region.
The human rights organizations and the media outlets have also raised questions and concerns about the wall and its impact on the humanitarian and the political situation in Gaza, and have called for more transparency and accountability from Egypt and its partners.
The wall, which is one of the many walls and barriers that have been built or proposed in the region and the world, such as the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank, the US-Mexico border wall, and the Saudi-Iraq border fence, has also become a symbol and a manifestation of the division and the conflict that have characterized the region and the world for decades, and that have challenged and defied the ideals and the aspirations of peace and justice.
