At least one Egyptian soldier has been confirmed dead after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) clashed with the Egyptian military near the Rafah border crossing on Monday.
Both Egyptian and Israeli military authorities are investigating the situation, according to a Times of Israel report. Anonymous Israeli military sources claim Egyptian forces first opened fire, prompting the IDF to respond. Another report states that three additional Egyptian soldiers were injured in the skirmish.
Egypt’s border with Gaza had previously been controlled by Palestinian authorities until Israel took control several weeks ago. The recent operation, part of Israel’s broader military campaign in Gaza, aims to control the city of Rafah and the surrounding border area.
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Following the incident on Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for “immediate and unified Arab and European action to halt the Israeli war on Gaza and address the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region” while speaking at a meeting between the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council and Arab foreign ministers in Brussels.
Violence on the border between Israeli and Egyptian forces has been uncommon in recent years, but renewed hostilities leading up to this latest incident could strain relations between the countries. Earlier this year, for example, an Israeli tank attacked Egyptian border guards, injuring seven.
Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979, the first between Israel and an Arab nation. The treaty included limits on both countries’ military forces near their mutual border. While the agreement improved relations between the two nations, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981 by Islamic extremists opposed to the treaty.
The 1979 treaty laid the groundwork for the 2020 Abraham Accords, facilitated by the Trump administration between Israel and several Arab nations. Although the recent military campaign in Gaza has strained these diplomatic relationships, the Accords still hold.
Both countries are now investigating the skirmish, and new details are likely to emerge. As Israel takes further control of Gaza, it seeks to maintain normal relations with Islamic Arab nations critical of the military campaign.
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