Egypt threatens legal action against Israel for plan to push Gaza Palestinians to Sinai

Egypt has threatened to escalate against Israel using international law as Tel Aviv mulls pushing Gaza's population into Sinai in an act of ethnically cleansing the Palestinian territory.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly reiterated Cairo's refusal to take in Gaza's more than two million strong civilian population as Israel's onslaught on the territory persists.

"Egypt totally rejects the forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinians into North Sinai and… and considers any attempt as a threat to its sovereignty," Madbouly told parliament on Tuesday.

"Egypt won’t hesitate to take all the necessary measures that guarantee the security of its borders…in case of a possible scenario that [involves] the exodus of Palestinians into Egypt… [The country] will have a take a decisive action as per international laws," he said, without further elaborating on the possible action. 

Madbouly made the comments in response to a related  motion presented by several MPs a day earlier.

Egypt and Israel have technically been at peace since the late 1970s, sharing solid diplomatic, economic, and security ties - despite widespread opposition from the Egyptian public.

An Israeli intelligence ministry report leaked last month proposed that Gaza's entire civilian population be permanently moved from the Palestinian enclave to neighbouring Sinai.

Egypt has repeatedly dismissed the proposal.

More than one million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in Gaza since Israel began its air and ground assault on 7 October. More than 14,000 people have been killed in the onslaught.

Israel has been pushing southwards through Gaza in its ground invasion.

A prominent political analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity told The New Arab that Madbouly's comments were likely made to curry public favour ahead of presidential elections next month.

"Madbouly just voiced empty threats to appease a worried public, reiterating the same rhetoric of his employer, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose popularity has been at stake given the current economic crisis taking a toll on the country and the crackdown on human rights and media freedom," the analyst said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared for his safety.

“At the end of the day, Madbouly’s rhetorical discourse echoes Sisi’s will. In Egypt, only the president as the head of state has the right to conduct foreign policy changes and make decisions about national security,” the expert said.