Egyptian-Israeli peace could be at risk if military pursues Hamas into Rafah: Live updates

Israel’s longstanding peace with its southern neighbor may be threatened by its pursuit of Hamas militants deeper into Gaza as it gets closer to the border with Egypt.

Israel’s military has pushed most of Gaza’s population south during its ongoing operations, forcing more than 1 million Palestinians to crowd in and around the border city of Rafah. If the Israeli offensive continues into Rafah, Egyptian officials are concerned thousands of cornered Palestinians may rush into their territory, as happened in 2008 after Hamas took over and blew open the border wall.

A photo taken from southern Israel on the border with the Gaza Strip shows smoke billowing over the Palestinian territory during Israeli bombardment on Jan. 25, 2024.

Israeli officials say Hamas is smuggling weapons through the Philadelphi Corridor − the narrow strip of land covering the southern width of Gaza that separates it from Egyptian territory − and insist they must control it to achieve their goal of crushing Hamas.

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Egypt denies arms are filtering through the buffer zone, which is demilitarized under the terms of the 1979 peace accord with Israel, and warned that bringing in troops would violate that agreement.

“Any Israeli move in this direction will lead to a serious threat to Egyptian-Israeli relations,” said Diaa Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service.

Egypt has been among the countries trying to mediate a cease-fire or truce that could lead to the release of hostages. Israel, already clashing with Hezbollah militants at its northern border and facing widespread reproach for killing 25,000 Palestinians in its response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, can ill afford to alienate Egypt.

An Egyptian official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that his country warned Israel and the U.S. any military operations in the Philadelphi Corridor “could tear apart our peace,” adding, “We will not tolerate such a move.”

Developments:

∎ The Palestinian Authority is negotiating a loan from United Arab Emirates and Norway to compensate for tax revenue Israel is withholding, the Times of Israel reported, citing a senior Western diplomat. Israel says the $75 million in tax revenue could be funneled to Hamas.

∎ The U.S. and Israel agreed on a channel to discuss incidents of civilian casualties or targeting of civilian buildings in Gaza after the Biden administration expressed concern about “constant” reports of those instances, Reuters reported.

∎ Israel is progressing on deals to buy new fighter jets, attack helicopters and munitions from the U.S., reported the Times of Israel, which also mentioned that delivery of the warplanes and helicopters typically takes years.

∎ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged more than $900 million in support of northern Israeli communities that have faced a steady barrage of rocket attacks from Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. More than 80,000 Israeli resident have been displaced. “We will continue to build up the communities,” Netanyahu told a meeting of mayors. “We will make them prosper, more than previously.”

∎ Israeli commando teams increased “operational control” over the city of Khan Younis, a stronghold of Hamas terrorists, the Israeli military said in a statement. A key Hamas headquarters was raided and many weapons, tactical radios, night vision devices, maps and intelligence information “of great value” was seized, the statement said.

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US pushing for new deal to free hostages, may send CIA chief

President Joe Biden appeared poised to send the CIA director to jump-start talks for the release of hostages at a time when Israeli leaders are criticizing Qatar’s efforts to broker a cease-fire deal.

The Washington Post, citing officials close to the matter, reported that CIA Director William Burns will travel to Europe within days for talks with officials from Israel, Egypt and Qatar to help negotiate a deal. The Post says Israel’s proposal included a 60-day pause in fighting and the phased release of the remaining hostages, but that Hamas is demanding a permanent cease-fire.

John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesperson, declined to confirm the Post report.

Qatar was a major player in negotiations that led to a one-week cease-fire and release of more than 100 hostages in November. In recent days the tiny Persian Gulf emirate has been working with Egypt on a new deal to bring home the more than 130 remaining hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in remarks to families of hostages that were broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 and elsewhere, called Qatar’s role “problematic,” claiming it could put more pressure on the Islamic militant group than it has. Qatar is home to several top Hamas leaders.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari countered that Netanyahu’s remarks were “irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising.”

Gaza blast kills 20 Palestinians lined up for aid

Israeli shelling slammed into a crowd of Palestinians awaiting humanitarian aid in Gaza City on Thursday, killing at least 20 and wounding 150, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said the death toll from the attack in northern Gaza is likely to rise.

Israeli troops fired into the crowd, said Mohammad al-Reafi as he lay on the floor of Shifa Hospital with a bloody leg amid other wounded. “We were going to get flour.”

The Israeli military said it was investigating.

In southern Gaza, the death toll from a strike on a U.N. shelter in Khan Younis rose to 12. The shelter, which was bombed and caught fire Wednesday, was a U.N. training center converted to house thousands of Palestinians displaced by the devastation of Israel’s military operation. Thomas White, a senior official with the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, said more than 75 people were wounded and 15 remained in critical condition Thursday.

White did not call out Israel as the culprit in the shelter blast. The Israeli military said it was still investigating the incident but does not believe the strike came from its aircraft or artillery − adding that a Hamas rocket might be to blame. Thomas said heavy fighting near hospitals in Khan Younis has left “terrified staff, patients and displaced people trapped inside,” White said.

“Persistent attacks on civilian sites in Khan Younis are utterly unacceptable and must stop immediately,” White said in a statement Thursday. “People are being killed and injured. As fighting intensifies around hospitals and shelters hosting the displaced, people are trapped inside and lifesaving operations are impeded.”

Lebanon warned it may ‘suffer a blow from which it will not recover’

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and families of some of the hostages in Gaza lobbied Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani to try to persuade the Lebanese government to withdraw Hezbollah from southern Lebanon. The alternative for Lebanon, Katz said, was to “suffer a blow from which it will not recover.” Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants have been clashing with Israel along Lebanon’s southern border since the Israeli-Hamas war broke out in October.

“Tajani is a true friend of the State of Israel,” Katz said in a social media post. “I and the families of the abductees told him that we had no other choice but to finish our mission in Gaza − return all the abductees home and eliminate Hamas. I asked him to work with the Lebanese government to withdraw Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, otherwise the state of Lebanon will suffer a blow from which it will not recover.”

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egyptian-Israeli peace could be at risk if military pursues Hamas into Rafah: Live updates