Egypt Refuses to Take in Palestinians

 

Egyptian strongman Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, reportedly speaking at a military graduation on Thursday, urged residents of Gaza to “remain on their land” rather than attempt to relocate away from the violence of the jihadist terror group Hamas and any potential retaliation from the Israeli government.

Sisi’s regime shut its border with Gaza on Tuesday after the Israeli government suggested that those seeking to flee Hamas should consider relocating to the fellow Muslim Arab country. While many Arabs and others in the Middle East enthusiastically support many of Hamas’s demands – primarily, the creation of a state of “Palestine” carved out of Israel – their governments have been hesitant to assist Palestinians in evacuating wartorn areas.

Some Egyptians speaking to the Emirati newspaper The National this week complained that their country already has “enough” refugees and, while they support the eradication of Israel, they would prefer not to take the Palestinians into their country.

The government of Israel urged over 1 million people in southern Gaza to evacuate as soon as possible on Friday in anticipation of a military siege against Hamas targets. Hamas routinely uses Palestinians as human shields, building up weapons stockpiles and establishing operational headquarters in civilian areas, forcing the Israeli government to announce military operations in advance in an attempt to save Palestinian lives.

“Gaza city is an area where military activity takes place. This evacuation is for your personal safety,” Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari announced in a statement posted to social media on Friday, telling locals the military “will continue to operate significantly in Gaza city in the coming days, and wishes to avoid harming civilians.”