Egypt warned Israel/ Netanyahu can’t have control of Philadelphi Corridor on Egyptian border

מעבר גבול רפיח בין רצועת עזה ל מצרים
Egypt’s border with Gaza at Rafah (Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters )

In the time frame of 2022-2023, Israeli governing extremists who’d been wanting forever to end the presence of Palestinians within Israel, managed to win an election, whereupon they resurrected the alleged corrupt political life of Mr. Netanyahu by inviting him to lead. Immediately, they attempted to totally revamp Israel’s judiciary infrastructure to enhance their power and to weaken democracy within Israel, which was met by strong opposition and huge protests, followed by these Israeli right-wingers’ hold on power becoming at risk because their popularity polls, were in a downward spiral.

Until just weeks prior to the October 2023 Israel-Hamas war, Prime Minister Netanyahu had been propping up the Iranian backed terrorist governing body over Gazans, Hamas with a founding charter that included the goal of ending Israel’s existence and after a decade of several past military conflicts between Israel and Hamas. Now, why would Qatar be funneling lots of monies to Hamas, just weeks before Oct 7 with Mr. Netanyahu’s approval?

Then, as per Ynetnews, Egypt’s top intelligence officials directly contacted Netanyahu several times to warn him about Oct 7 plans by Hamas. Of course, Netanyahu denies this contact.

For how Egypt has been working overtime to end the 2023 Israel-Hamas war see, “Egypt’s latest diplomatic efforts to end Israel’s war with Hamas/ CNN

But Israelis and other interested parties like U.S. officials shouldn’t have to wait until after this war to get answers like why Israeli officials with seemingly willful blindness ignored multiple, detailed, accurate, timely intelligence data from allies? We need them, yesterday!

The following reports highlight Egypt’s numerous efforts to warn Israel about the planned imminent October 7th massacre on Israeli by Hamas soldiers from Gaza, and then why Egypt is strongly opposed to Israel’s announced plans to control the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14 kilometer (8 mile) long stretch of land along the Gaza border with Egypt.

As per the October 13, 2023 Haaretz report , “Israel’s national security adviser denies receiving Egyptian warning of Hamas Attack by Jonathan Lis:

Excerpts:

“Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi has categorically rejected reports that Egypt had given Israel prior warning that Hamas was planning a major attack.”

“It never happened,” Hanegbi told Haaretz. “Zero information, zero warning. Utterly fake.” He added that none of the heads of the security establishment received prior warning from Egypt, “directly or indirectly, and not with a hint, a whisper, or a wink. Nothing of the sort ever happened.”
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Abbas Kamel, the powerful head of Egyptian intelligence, warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 10 days before the attack, Ynet reports.

“Hanegbi’s denial follows a statement from US Representative and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, who told reporters that Egypt had given prior warning. “We know that Egypt has warned the Israelis three days prior that an event like this could happen,” McCaul said. “I don’t want to get too much into classified [information], but a warning was given,” the Texas Republican added. “I think the question was at what level.”

“If what Hanegbi says is true, that suggests that, almost a week after the bloody Hamas attack, the security establishment and the political echelon have failed to locate, even in retrospect, important Egyptian intelligence that was handed over to Israel – but appears to have been lost.”

“McCaul is the first senior official to state openly that Israel received an Egyptian warning. However, his statement precedes several reports including by the Associated Press and the Israel’s Ynet news site concerning a specific Egyptian warning that “something big” was about to happen that was made several times to Israel in recent weeks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also denied that any such warning was received by Israel.”

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“It is difficult to say whether the denials in Egypt and Israel are credible or whether they are attempting to protect sensitive information passed between the sides. Official confirmation of such information could harm Egypt’s ties with the Palestinians.”

“In a zoom conversation broadcast earlier this week on Israel’s Channel 12, Nimrod Novik, a former adviser to Shimon Peres, said the Egyptians had warned Israel, but that the information they provided contained nothing that had not been previously known to Israeli intelligence. Novik added that Egyptian contacts had told him some three months ago that Hamas was planning a significant operation.”

“Israeli intelligence possessed all that information, everything,” he said. “I was party to a conversation with a senior Egyptian intelligence official some weeks before and he told me that they had passed a warning over to Israeli counterparts. “But I think a big story has been made out of nothing as there was nothing in the Egyptian warning that the Israelis weren’t aware of. The problem was in the interpretation.”

“Open-source intelligence reveals that an Israeli plane used by senior security and political officials landed in Cairo last Thursday, two days before the Hamas attack, and returned to Israel late on the same day. It is not known who was on board that plane and whether the flight was connected in any way to security affairs.”

“Haaretz has spoken with several foreign and Israeli sources and a complex picture has emerged. Even though Egypt has officially denied the reports that it gave Israel an early warning, a source involved in the security ties between the countries has raised doubts as to whether that’s true.”
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As per recent Ynetnews article, “Netanyahu violating peace deal with Egypt’ Cairo parliamentarian says” by Lior Ben Ari:

Excerpts:

“Mustafa Bakri, an Egyptian journalist and member of parliament, said on Sunday that Israel’s intent to control the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14 kilometer (8 mile) long stretch of land along the Gaza border with Egypt, would be a violation of the Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement.”

“When Netanyahu says that the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egyptian border should be under Israeli control, it is a blatant attack on the peace agreement between the two countries,” he said on X. “Don’t get closer; the Egyptian border is a red line. It seems you’re not aware of the capabilities and strength of our army.”

“Netanyahu on Saturday, repeated his assertion that the area must remain under the control of the IDF to prevent smuggling. “The Philadelphi Corridor, or more accurately, the southern barrier, must be in our hands and must be closed. Any other arrangement will not guarantee the creation of a buffer zone we want and need to ensure.”
“Egypt has said that it had destroyed all the tunnels dug under the Egyptian border in past operations and that there were none that were still in use.”
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“Bakri said Egypt cannot remain silent amid Israel’s intent. “Netanyahu’s audacity in threatening to occupy the Philadelphi Route must be responded to decisively. It strangles Gaza and turns it into a large prison, imposing a constant blockade on it, opening the way for the displacement of Palestinians to Egypt. A demonstration of force is needed at this time; silence won’t be effective. We are confident the leadership and the military won’t allow the enemy to carry out its plans.”
***
“The Qatari owned Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper earlier this month was devoted to the military activity on the Philadelphi Corridor since October 7, which had led to increasing tensions in relations between Israel and Egypt and even challenged previous agreements.
***
According to the article, the main point of contention was Israel’s concern that the tunnels were still being used to smuggle advanced weapons into the Strip and could be used by Hamas leaders to escape Gaza to save themselves from the Israeli troops. Israel was also concerned that Hamas may smuggle Israeli captives through the tunnels to locations around the world.”
***
“In Cairo, however, officials insist that the area was completely free of tunnels. According to an Egyptian source, before the renewal of the fighting in early December, Israel raised these concerns in a meeting with Egyptian officials, who responded that should such tunnels exist Israel would be allowed to “blow them up.”

3 comments

  1. He said; she said! I don’t care who is right. The Philadelphi Corridor should remain in Egypt’s . hands. Yahu cares nothing about the tunnels. He wants to trap Palestinians in Gaza where he can annihilate them. Yahu is out of control. He thinks israel should be only for Israelis. And the US has to stop backing him.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi and Happy New Year!

      There are leaders who could replace easily PM Netanyahu and do a much better job for both Israeli citizens and Palestinians. Even PM Netanyahu understands that the Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as well as his past rival Benny Gantz want to replace him as prime minister when the war is over, and my question is why wait?

      According to Times of Israel and Ynetnews, Egypt had directly warned Israeli intelligence officials 10 and 3 days before the October 7th attack on Israelis by Hamas which of course, PM Netanyahu vehemently denies ever happened. If this is true and according to a (R-TX) US Congressional Representative McCaul who reviewed US intelligence data, it is true, then Egypt and other Arab neighbors know to the degree that the Israeli prime minister dropped the ball isn’t an innocent one. The US can’t afford to wear blinders.

      They know that current right-wing Israeli leaders want Palestinians to be relocated outside of Israel and/ or outrightly eliminated. The rest of the world is also getting this. The U.S. needs to get onboard.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

      • The US is hugely invested in Israel in that they were one of the main proponents of cresting modern-dsy Israel in the first place.
        Some American leaders will do anything to protect that investment, including selling their souls to Netanyahu no nstter what he does.
        To me, the US should get out of Israel altogether, let it sink of swim on its own. Tnis nation we call Israel is not the meek naton that was envisioned, just thankful for existing. They have been warlike almost right from the start. Instead of being good beighbours they want to divest Palestinians of their homeland.
        This is not why Israel was created.

        Liked by 1 person

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