Egypt, the other country besides Israel that borders Gaza, moved quickly this week to fortify its border and prevent a flood of Palestinians from entering Egyptian territory during Israel’s counteroffensive against Hamas.
The Israeli military suggested on Tuesday that Palestinians who do not wish to be used as human shields by the Hamas terrorists should flee across the Egyptian border. Israeli Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hecht rescinded that advice later on Tuesday.
“Clarification: The Rafah crossing was open yesterday, but now it’s closed,” Hecht said.
The Rafah crossing was evidently shut down because Israel dropped several bombs near it. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said on Tuesday it conducted airstrikes against a tunnel in the vicinity of Rafah used by Palestinian terrorists to smuggle weapons and equipment. The IDF warned officials in Gaza and Egypt that the strike against the tunnel was coming.
“In recent days, the IDF has been instructing the population inside of the Gaza Strip to distance themselves from designated areas. We emphasize that there is no official call by Israel for residents of the Gaza Strip to exit into Egypt,” the IDF said on Tuesday.