Israeli and Egyptian troops exchange fire in Gaza; they confirm a death

The Egyptian Army confirmed this Monday that one person was killed during an exchange of fire with Israeli forces at the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Egyptian Sinai with the Gaza Stripan unusual incident that authorities in both countries say they are investigating.

“The Egyptian Armed Forces are investigating, through the competent authorities, the shooting incident on the border line in Rafah, which caused the martyrdom of a member in charge of security“The Egyptian Army said in a brief statement without providing further details.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) previously reported in another brief statement about a “shooting on the border with Egypt” that is being “subject of an investigation”, while indicating that the Israeli authorities are “maintaining a dialogue with the Egyptian side”.

Eyewitnesses at the Rafah crossing at the time of the incident informed EFE that Israeli shots hit the Egyptian side of the land crossing, taken by Israeli forces weeks ago in the midst of operations against the Palestinian town of the same name, where large crowds are part of those displaced by the war.

Two Egyptian military and security sources also confirmed to EFE that after the “exchange of fire between Egyptian and Israeli soldiers”, whose details were not revealed, the security forces cordoned off the area around the crossing.

“Egyptian soldiers started shooting at members of the Israeli army, without causing any casualties. But the forces of the occupation army (Israel) responded by firing as a warning.”added the military source, who asked not to be identified.

In his account, the Egyptian security source indicated that the Israeli troops “they fled after the shooting” and that the exchange “has not continued”.

“All Israeli forces withdrew from the area of ​​clashes at the Rafah border crossing on the Palestinian side“, they added.

The source added that this exchange of fire “It is due to the tension between Tel Aviv and Cairo” for the attack this morning against a displaced persons camp in Rafahwhere around fifty people died from a fire that broke out after the bombing, according to the first Israeli investigations.

A few weeks after the start of the war in Gaza Stripseveral incidents in the passage of Rafah They raised tensions between Israel and Egypt, a country that is also a mediator between the Jewish State and the Islamist group Hamas.

Cairo has accused Israel of bombing the crossing on several occasions, which Egyptian authorities say caused damage to the crossing that prevented humanitarian aid access to Loop and the evacuation of wounded and foreigners for a few days.

Likewise, on October 22, the Israeli Army acknowledged that one of its battle tanks mistakenly fired at an Egyptian military post on the border, an incident that was addressed through diplomatic channels and which according to Egyptian media left at least one injured.