A reliable high-level source informed Al-Qahera News TV channel on Thursday, 30 May, that Egypt remains steadfast in its demand for a full Israeli military withdrawal from Rafah crossing before considering its reopening. The source further refuted Israeli media claims suggesting that Egypt had agreed to reopen the Rafah crossing following discussions with Israel and the US. Egypt’s response follows the Israeli military’s declaration on Wednesday of securing “operational control” over the entire Philadelphi Route along the Gaza-Egypt border. According to IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the territory acted as “Hamas’s oxygen pipeline” for importing weapons. Hagari added that Hamas “took advantage of the Philadelphi area, took advantage of it and built its infrastructure just dozens of meters from the border with Egypt, so that we won’t strike there.” Following Israel’s military assault on Rafah this week, which killed at least 45 people, including women and children, an Egyptian security officer had been “martyred” in a “shooting incident” on the border near the Rafah border crossing. According to the terms of the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, both parties are restricted to deploying a limited contingent of…
