Reports: Egyptian military building a ‘buffer zone’ along Gaza border

Rafah (Quds News Network) – The Egyptian military is constructing a buffer zone along a 3.5km stretch of the Egypt-Gaza border, sparking concerns of a looming mass exodus of Palestinians into Egypt amid the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on the Gaza Strip.
The construction, which began near the Rafah border crossing earlier this month, has not been officially explained by the Egyptian armed forces.
The new zone will extend more than 3km south, reaching near the Karm Abu Salem crossing into Gaza, according to Egyptian security officers. Egyptian officials claim that the constructed area can accommodate over 100,000 people and will be surrounded by concrete walls.
The construction is believed to be a response to concerns about a potential Israeli military offensive into Rafah, which could lead to an influx of refugees from the densely populated city—where Palestinians from northern Gaza were initially instructed to go by the Israeli army at the beginning of the war.
There are fears that Israel’s imminent ground offensive in Rafah, which has seen its population increase fivefold in recent months, could result in a bloodbath.
Satellite images confirm the findings
Satellite images show cranes placing parts of the wall concrete walls that will surround the buffer zone, with initial construction starting on February 6 after excavators arrived on February 3. Additional satellite imagery suggests a significant increase in construction activity over the past five days.
Simultaneously, videos released by the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights depict the border wall’s construction, claiming it to be 5 meters (16 feet) tall. Local contractors reportedly informed the organization that the Egyptian armed forces are executing the task.
Exclusive footage obtained by the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights on February 16 reveals ongoing construction of a security buffer zone surrounded by walls spanning 19 square kilometers in the Egyptian city of Rafah, east of the Sinai Peninsula. The images depict the preparation of the terrain for the installation of a cement wall near the border fence separating Egypt and Israel.
In addition, recent images circulating on social media also substantiate earlier reports from the foundation, later confirmed by international media outlets such as the BBC and the Wall Street Journal, indicating the commencement of the construction of an isolated area surrounded by walls along the Gaza border. The purpose of this zone is said to be the reception of refugees “in the event of a mass displacement of Gaza residents.”
While satellite images confirm the ongoing construction, the head of the Egyptian State Information Service denied the entire issue regarding Egypt’s initiation of building an isolating wall on its border with Gaza.
He clarified that Egypt has had a buffer zone and walls in this region for a long time, even before the current Israeli onslaught, as part of the measures taken by any country to safeguard its borders and maintain sovereignty over its territories.
The Governor of North Sinai, Major General Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shousha, stated that “the logistics area is being established under the supervision of the armed forces and is being equipped with truck waiting areas, secured warehouses, administrative offices, and accommodations for drivers equipped with living facilities and electricity.”
Concerns over a mass exodus from Gaza
All eyes are now on Rafah, situated along the new buffer zone, where over a million displaced Palestinian refugees currently live in tents. Despite international pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to affirm that the Israeli military will eventually attack the Rafah area, sparking fears of mass displacement and civilian casualties.
The UN’s high commissioner for refugees said on Friday that a mass movement of people from Rafah into Egypt’s Sinai would be a disaster for Palestinians and prospects for peace in the Middle East.
“It would be a disaster for the Palestinians … a disaster for Egypt and a disaster for the future of peace,” Filippo Grandi told the Reuters news agency of Israel’s planned ground invasion of Rafah.
When asked whether Egyptian authorities had contacted the UNHCR about possible contingency plans he said: “The Egyptians said that people should be assisted inside Gaza and we are working on that.”
Israel has said it wants to take over the Philadelphi Corridor, the fortified border area between Gaza and Egypt, to secure it. Egypt has threatened that this would jeopardize the peace treaty the two countries signed four decades ago.
Cairo has emphasized that it does not want Palestinians to be displaced from their land by Israel, comparing such a scenario to the 1948 Nakba, the forced displacement of about 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in the war that led to Israel’s creation.
Already dire humanitarian conditions
Palestinians displaced to Rafah are suffering from a lack of sufficient shelter, food, water and medicine, and the United Nations and human rights groups have warned that the humanitarian disaster in the besieged enclave is rapidly worsening.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed the army to develop an evacuation plan for over half of the 2.3 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, specifically those concentrated in Rafah. However, he has not outlined detailed steps for the evacuation.
Netanyahu has suggested the possibility of relocating Palestinians to areas north of Rafah, previously cleared by the Israeli military through ground invasion and airstrikes.
International skepticism
UN humanitarian aid chief Martin Griffiths expressed skepticism on Thursday, stating that believing in the evacuation of Gaza residents to a safe place would be an “illusion.” He also warned against forcing Palestinians into Egypt, describing it as a “sort of Egyptian nightmare.”
The United States, along with several key allies of Israel, has openly opposed a ground assault on Rafah, with some labeling it as “catastrophic.” President Joe Biden’s administration has clarified its position, stating, “The US does not support the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.” Additionally, there is no funding for camps in Egypt for displaced Palestinians.
The fiercest encounter in the Gaza Strip has been concentrated in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, where the Israeli military claims its attacks are targeting Hamas battalions. The Israeli army, using shelling, sniper fire, and drones, has besieged Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in the area, which has served as a shelter for thousands of displaced Palestinians.
An ongoing tragedy
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, Israel’s attacks on Gaza since October 7 have resulted in the deaths of at least 28,775 Palestinians, with 68,552 wounded. Several thousand more are reportedly missing, likely buried under rubble. The situation remains tense, and concerns about the humanitarian impact of a potential evacuation continue to grow.