Egyptian soldier killed in border clash with Israeli forces
On May 27, a shootout occurred between the Israeli and Egyptian armies. As a result of the gunfire, at least one Egyptian soldier was killed, though some sources suggest as many as four people might have died. Will Egypt respond with an attack on Israel?
2:56 PM EDT, May 27, 2024
That morning, at the border crossing between Israel and Egypt in Rafah, a shootout took place. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that shots were fired at their unit. An Egyptian soldier was killed in the exchange of fire.
This incident occurred just a few hours after the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned an Israeli attack on Rafah. As a result, at least 45 civilians were killed. Israel claims it was targeting Hamas members, of whom two were reportedly killed.
The death of their compatriot was confirmed by the Egyptian Ministry of Defense. The Egyptian Armed Forces issued a brief statement on social media.
The Egyptian Armed Forces is conducting an investigation by the relevant authorities regarding the incident of gunfire in the border area of Rafah, which led to the martyrdom of one of the personnel assigned to the protection duty - stated the Egyptian Armed Forces on Facebook.
Exceptionally tense relations between Israel and Egypt
Meanwhile, Israeli media only confirmed that there was indeed an exchange of fire with the Egyptian Armed Forces. No details or reports of casualties on the Israeli side have been provided.
Cold relations between Egypt and Israel have persisted for years. In their history, the two countries have fought several wars. However, for the past 45 years, relative peace has been maintained between them.
Recently, however, the situation has begun to change due to the actions of the IDF in the Gaza Strip. Egypt, a staunch ally of Palestine, has condemned the Israeli military campaign and the killing of thousands of civilians trapped in the Gaza Strip. Following the shootout, in which the IDF killed an Egyptian soldier, tensions between the two countries are at their highest in nearly half a century.
