Egypt has urged both Hamas and Israel to de-escalate the current situation and return to the negotiating table, a high-level Egyptian source told Daily News Egypt on Monday.
He emphasized that a significant progress that has already been made in Gaza ceasefire talks
The Egyptian appeal comes as Israel’s military issued orders for Palestinians to evacuate eastern Rafah, warning of “extreme force” in southern Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the evacuation orders through a combination of announcements, text messages, phone calls, and media broadcasts in Arabic, citing the need to create an “expanded humanitarian zone.”
The IDF described its latest operation as “limited in scope,” aiming to relocate around 100,000 people from eastern Rafah to the designated humanitarian area in southern Gaza. The move has drawn sharp criticism from Hamas. A senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, told Reuters on Monday that the Israeli order for civilians to evacuate Rafah is a “dangerous escalation that will have consequences.”
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the evacuation and military action in Rafah are necessary because Hamas has refused to agree to a ceasefire. Hamas’s refusal, he claimed, is contingent on a Gaza truce that would lead to the release of some hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist group.
The conflict has already displaced over half of Gaza’s population, with around 1.4 million Palestinians currently in Rafah and its surroundings, according to the Associated Press. Many live in overcrowded tent camps, U.N. shelters, or densely packed apartments, heavily reliant on international aid for food and essential services. Sanitation and medical facilities in the area have suffered extensive damage due to repeated Israeli bombings.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas’s demands for a definitive end to the war in Gaza. During a televised address on Sunday, he reiterated his stance, suggesting that the conflict will continue as long as Hamas maintains its hardline position.
With both sides seemingly entrenched in their respective positions, Egypt’s call for a return to negotiations may offer a glimmer of hope amid the ongoing crisis. However, with the latest Israeli evacuation orders and Hamas’s strong response, the path to de-escalation appears challenging.
Also on Monday, the Palestinian presidency warned that Israel would commit a “crime of genocide” in Rafah.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson of the Palestinian presidency, said in a press statement that Israel has actually begun preparing to commit the largest “crime of genocide” by invading Rafah, holding the US administration responsible for these dangerous Israeli policies.
He said the invasion of Rafah would mean that 1.4 million Palestinian citizens would be subjected to “a genocidal massacre and displacement,” calling on the US administration to act immediately to prevent it, and to hold Israel accountable for the serious “violations” it is committing against international law before it is too late.