Egyptian armored vehicles near the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, in March 2024. EPA
Egyptian armored vehicles near the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, in March 2024. EPA
Egyptian armored vehicles near the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, in March 2024. EPA
Egyptian armored vehicles near the border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, in March 2024. EPA

Egyptian forces on high alert after Israel's takeover of Rafah crossing in Gaza


Hamza Hendawi
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Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Egypt has placed its forces in the Sinai Peninsula close to its borders with Gaza and Israel on high alert after the takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing by Israel’s military, sources told The National on Wednesday.

They said the Egyptian troops there were ordered to exercise maximum restraint in the face of any provocations or accidents – such as stray shells or misguided air bombardment – arising from Israel’s military operations close to the border.

Egypt has also increased drone reconnaissance flights over the area, the sources said.

Israeli troops, tanks and armoured vehicles were 100 metres or less from Egyptian troops, a proximity the sources said raised the threat of clashes given the extent of anti-Israeli feeling in Egypt since the Gaza war broke out in October.

Israeli soldiers aboard military vehicles maneuver at an undisclosed position near the border fence with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on May 8, 2024. EPA
Israeli soldiers aboard military vehicles maneuver at an undisclosed position near the border fence with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on May 8, 2024. EPA

Egypt and Israel are bound by a US-sponsored 1979 peace treaty that ended decades of hostilities between the neighbours, including four full-fledged wars.

Their relations had for years been called “cold peace” but that has thawed in the past 10 years with the two states co-operating on counter-terrorism, anti-drugs operations and human trafficking.

The Gaza war, however, causes tension, with Egypt accusing Israel of the use of excessive force, breaching international law and using hunger as a weapon against the Palestinians.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the US, have been trying to broker a ceasefire deal in Gaza, where more than 34,800 Palestinians have been killed since October.

Israel’s takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing – Gaza’s only land link to the outside world not controlled by Israel – has outrage opinion in Egypt, with many social media users cautioning the government against what they described as Israel’s belligerent mood or arrogance of military might.

Pro-government accounts, however, belittled the threat, saying that Egyptian forces were more than ready to deal with any eventuality.

Displaced Palestinians construct makeshift shelters amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Khan Younis after fleeing from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Bloomberg.
Displaced Palestinians construct makeshift shelters amid the rubble of destroyed homes in Khan Younis after fleeing from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Bloomberg.

Egyptian forces practised restraint during the early days of the Gaza war when a stray Israeli shell wounded several soldiers on the border.

It reacted the same way when Israeli air strikes hit the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on four occasions to warn against sending aid to Gaza without its approval.

The Rafah crossing has been closed since Israel took over its Palestinian side early on Tuesday after launching an incursion into the eastern side of the city of Rafah.

This has disrupted convoys of relief aid into Gaza gripped by a humanitarian crisis, hunger and widespread disease.

The disruption is also denying some of the more seriously wounded in Gaza the opportunity to seek medical treatment outside the enclave.

The sources said Egypt had received advance notice of the Israeli takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. It has also been told by the Israelis that its move arose in large part from their suspicion that Hamas was receiving funds and arms through underground tunnels around Rafah.

Israeli forces closed the Karam Abu Salem crossing into Gaza on Wednesday after briefly reopening it, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

It only allowed one fuel lorry from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East into the enclave.

Displaced Palestinians with empty water containers in central Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Bloomberg
Displaced Palestinians with empty water containers in central Khan Younis, Gaza, on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Bloomberg

Israel has also told Egypt that its action aims to prevent some of the more extreme militants in Gaza from infiltrating Egypt, which has for years fought an insurgency by extremists in the north-east corner of Sinai.

“The move is largely a political one meant to put additional pressure on Hamas at a delicate time of the negotiations to reach a ceasefire,” said one source.

“Israel will not remain there for long, anyway, because the [truce] deal on the table provides for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”

Placing Egyptian forces in the area, mostly infantry and air defence units, on high alert was a precautionary but essential measure to deal with any eventuality, according to the sources.

“It is also because we can never be sure of where and when Israeli recklessness will stop,” said the source.

Egypt fears that a ground Israeli invasion of Rafah, home to some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, would set off a mass movement of Palestinians towards Egypt, which has repeatedly said that this would “liquidate” the Palestinian cause and undermine its national security.

US Gen Michael Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, has meanwhile reassured Egypt this week that its security would not be compromised by Israel’s action in Rafah, the sources said.

Gen Kurilla was in Cairo on May 6 and 7, when he met Defence Minister Gen Mohammed Zaki.

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UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

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The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours. 

The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.

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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

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A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

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World Cricket League Division 2

In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.

UAE fixtures

Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

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The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Infobox

Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August

Results

UAE beat Iran by 10 wickets

Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets

Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets

Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs

Monday fixtures

UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain

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Updated: May 09, 2024, 6:14 AM