First Clash Since 1973: Why Didn’t Egypt Demand Justice for Soldier Killed by ‘Israel’?

Multiple shooting incidents involving Egyptian soldiers against “Israel” across the border with occupied Palestine have been always officially described by Egypt as "isolated" and ignored; these incidents include those involving Suleiman Khater, Ayman Hassan, and Mohamed Salah, as well as the killing of an Israeli businessman in Alexandria weeks ago.

However, the exchange of gunfire between Israeli and Egyptian forces across the Rafah border on May 27, 2024, was not just an ordinary isolated incident, according to available data and Israeli and foreign accounts.

It was an explicit "clash," the first of its kind since the October 1973 war and the signing of the peace agreement in 1979.

Despite the Egyptian army spokesperson downplaying its significance as a "shooting incident in the border strip in Rafah" and belittling the slain soldier as "one of the elements tasked with security," the incident was extraordinary.

It raised several questions: Was it an attempt to entangle Egypt or an eruption of enthusiasm among Egyptian soldiers to carry out individual acts in response to the Israeli Occupation's massacres against their Palestinian brethren before their eyes?

Or was it a response to the approaching Israeli armored vehicles toward the crossing from the Egyptian side? Or was it Egypt heating up coinciding with the presence of a U.S. congressional delegation meeting with the regime's president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to discuss the Gaza war?

Several questions were raised about the incident's repercussions, and why Egyptian electronic committees called for calm and de-escalation, citing that "Israel is luring Egypt into something unknown," or that Egypt had retaliated and killed Israelis, a claim “Israel” did not acknowledge.

What Happened? 

Three narratives emerged about what happened on the Egypt-Gaza border between Egyptian and Israeli soldiers.

The first is an Egyptian official narrative talking about a normal clash between the Israeli Occupation forces and Palestinian resistance, which reportedly did not happen, resulting in a bullet that killed the Egyptian soldier.

The second is an official Israeli one talking about a clash between Egyptian and Israeli soldiers at the border and the killing of an Egyptian soldier without any Israelis being injured.

The third, reported by Israeli and foreign media and Egyptian activists, speaks of an actual clash with varying numbers of casualties and wounded, and conflicting reasons for the clash, including that the soldier's response was a result of the Israeli Occupation's crimes in killing Palestinians.

Among these narratives is one that says Egyptian soldiers responded to the Israeli armored vehicles' penetration of the border area at the Rafah crossing between the Palestinian and Egyptian sides, while another speaks of the Israeli Occupation deliberately shelling the Egyptian border to assess the reaction.

Reuters reported on May 28, 2024, citing Egyptian security sources, that an Egyptian soldier stationed on a watchtower saw an armored vehicle carrying Israeli soldiers crossing a border line near the border while the soldiers were chasing and killing many Palestinians, and responded by firing.

The sources indicated that the soldier initiated the gunfire, prompting the Israeli forces to retaliate, resulting in his death. Subsequently, an exchange of fire ensued between the two sides, leading to injuries among several Israeli soldiers and another Egyptian.

The Saudi Asharq Breaking website, based in Dubai, quoted Egyptian sources in a series of tweets that Israeli soldiers from the 401st Armored Brigade attempted to cross a site near the Rafah crossing, claiming they were “pursuing militants.”

An Egyptian soldier assigned to guard one of the observation towers fired shots at the advancing Israeli force, prompting an Israeli tank to fire a shell at the observation tower, killing him.

The sources said Egyptian forces clashed with Israeli forces, resulting in the death of an Israeli soldier and injuries to seven others, three of whom are in critical condition; the Israeli Occupation has not officially confirmed these details.

What Does Egypt Fear?

Egypt's weak narrative after the incident hinted at the Sisi regime's reluctance to escalate, similar to previous incidents where Egyptian soldiers were killed despite the Israeli Occupation's provocation by deploying forces waving Israeli flags in front of them near the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing.

Angry questions emerged: Why did the Sisi regime downplay the significance of the incident? Is it fearing “Israel,” America, or concerned about its grip on power?

The official response from the Egyptian army merely confirmed the "killing of one of the elements tasked with security at the border strip at the Rafah crossing" without blaming anyone, in a "shooting incident," stating that "an investigation is being conducted by the relevant authorities."

The statement not only demeaned the slain soldier as "one of the security elements" but also ignored pointing fingers at “Israel” for his killing and omitted details, despite “Israel” releasing information about the incident. However, it did not specify who initiated the gunfire and why, or how Egypt would respond.

Later, regime-affiliated channels like Alqahera News and Extra News promoted a narrative that portrayed the slain Egyptian soldier as at fault, as reported by a responsible Egyptian security source.

He said that preliminary investigations into the border incident indicated an exchange of gunfire between the Israeli army and Palestinian factions, "resulting in gunfire in multiple directions, with the Egyptian security element taking protective measures and dealing with the source of the gunfire," which led to his death!

The security source noted that investigation committees were formed to ascertain the details of the incident, determine responsibilities, and take necessary measures to prevent such clashes in the future.

A high-level source contented themselves with warning against endangering the security and safety of their security forces, according to Alqahera News, adding that “Egypt will take the necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of the incident,” without specifying what those measures are.

However, Palestinian activists refuted the Egyptian narrative, affirming that "the Rafah crossing has turned into an Israeli military base for weeks, so how did an exchange of gunfire occur between the resistance and the Israeli army?"

They stressed that there are no buildings in that area for fighters to hide in to attack Israeli forces, and the resistance did not announce any military operation in that area during the gunfire exchange between Egyptians and Israelis.

Nevertheless, a media source close to the Egyptian authorities speculated to Al-Estiklal that “Israel” might have instigated the incident by approaching the borders with Egypt under the pretext of exploring tunnels for Hamas, to gauge the Egyptian army's reaction after it controlled most of the Philadelphia axis.

The source said that an Israeli vehicle indeed attempted to reach the wall under the pretext of tunnel detection and violating the rules of engagement, leading to a clash with Egyptian soldiers, and causing the Israelis to retreat.

Public Outrage

Egyptians were deeply angered by the army's belittling of the martyred soldiers and the military spokesperson's description of the soldier in his statement as "one of the security elements," after previously being hailed in official propaganda as "the best soldiers on Earth."

The issue went beyond merely downplaying the significance of the fallen soldiers; it also triggered outrage regarding their compensation and the accountability of the Israeli Occupation.

A former general in the Egyptian army Samir Faraj, a former Sisi aide, said in an interview with Al-Jazeera that the peace agreement dictates how to deal with such cases, and there are several types of penalties for the aggressor.

When asked about the penalty, he said, "It could be an apology or payment of blood money," indicating that the "blood money" for the Egyptian soldier is "money, or in the form of developing a Jewish temple in Cairo," meaning fining “Israel” to develop a Jewish temple at its expense.

Egyptian activists, however, honored the martyred soldier, Abdullah Ramadan Ashri Qutb Haji, from the village of al-Agameyin, Faiyum Governorate in southwest Egypt, on social media platforms. They praised him and shared what he had written on his account in support of Gaza before his death.

Many Egyptians participated in his funeral, chanting "The martyr is beloved by God," amid intense anger in his village in Faiyum.

Israeli Censorship

Immediately after the clash and the news of an Egyptian soldier's martyrdom emerged, Israeli websites published details of the incident and then deleted them at the request of Israeli censorship.

The Israeli media was the first to report the incident, speaking of an unusual event and an Israeli investigation with significant political implications, as Egypt did not publish or reveal anything due to military laws that prohibit the publication of any information related to the army, with penalties of imprisonment for violators.

The Israeli scenario revolved around Egyptian soldiers opening fire on the Israeli army, similar to the scenario of the martyred  soldier, Mohamed Salah, once again, meaning individual action driven by natural enmity towards “Israel.”

Israeli Channel 13 said, "At the height of tension with Egypt, an extremely unusual incident occurred between the Israeli army and the Egyptian army at the Rafah crossing, and Israel is investigating the details of the incident, which may have significant political repercussions."

Israeli Channel 14 also spoke of an exceptional incident, namely Egyptian soldiers firing at Israeli soldiers at the Rafah crossing, and the Israeli army is investigating the incident, which may have political implications.

Then, the Israeli military censorship deleted the news from Channels 13 and 14 due to "political directives," deeming the publication irresponsible. It later stated that this was done by agreement between Egypt and “Israel” as part of their agreement to let the issue of the Egyptian soldier's martyrdom "quietly die down."

In a later statement, the Israeli army revealed that there was an "exchange of gunfire" between its soldiers and Egyptian forces at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

It stated, "Gunfire occurred on the Egyptian border, and an investigation into this matter is underway," adding that there is currently "communication with the Egyptian side on this matter."

However, the Walla Hebrew website close to the Israeli army, spoke of the "martyrdom of two Egyptian soldiers in the fierce clashes near the Rafah crossing."

Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation also spoke of "injuries among Israeli soldiers after a 'clash' with Egyptian forces at the Rafah crossing."

Israeli military sources speaking to the Yedioth Ahronoth accused the Egyptian soldiers of being the ones who fired first at Israeli soldiers at the Rafah crossing, who responded by returning fire.

In silence

When Al-Estiklal asked a source close to Egyptian authorities about what happened, he simply stated, "He is a martyr, and God willing, he is in paradise."

"But we must fully control our emotions in this difficult and sensitive time to avoid slipping into a path and a slope the enemy may plan for us to cross."

He continued, criticizing the escalating rhetoric and incitement on channels like Al-Jazeera, saying, “There are voices calling for Egypt to intervene in the border area with weapons and machinery like the Israeli army and the Egyptian soldier's duty is not just to deliver food and water,” condemning such rhetoric as incitement. 

An Egyptian security source also criticized the escalation and incitement through social media and channels, stating, “We are fully aware of the schemes of those who incite discord and turmoil, and our national responsibilities outweigh all considerations.”

The truth is that there was an agreement between Egypt and “Israel” to "quietly let the issue of the Egyptian soldier's martyrdom die down," as revealed by American and Israeli newspapers.

Financial Times quoted an unnamed Egyptian security official expressing Egypt's desire not to escalate the border incident.

The official stated that there was an agreement between Tel Aviv and Cairo to let the issue of the Egyptian soldier's killing by Israeli fire "quietly fade away."

According to the American newspaper, an Egyptian military official sought to downplay the significance of the gunfire, stating to the newspaper that “it was a minor incident and had no political significance.”

The newspaper also disclosed that there were directives for Egyptian military personnel to stay away from this matter. It also noted that censorship was activated on the Israeli side to prevent publications that could provoke anger on the other side.

Deep-rooted Animosity

Despite the warnings within the Egyptian military and the selection of soldiers with medium qualifications and lack of higher education to avoid a violent reaction to the daily provocations by the Israelis and the ongoing crimes in Gaza, incidents of Egyptian soldiers firing at Israelis recur.

This confirms that animosity towards “Israel” is deeply rooted among Egyptians, regardless of their social strata. Egyptians have not forgotten their enemy and know it well, despite Sisi's attempts to change the military's doctrine from hostility towards “Israel” to hostility towards "Islamists."

Perhaps this is why, amid escalating Egyptian popular anger, the actor and singer Mohamed Ramadan appeared in a video saying, "How long will we keep fighting with our phones? How will we restore our dignity with our phones and defend our brothers and liberate them with our phones?" authorities have begun to try to contain the situation.

The electronic committees and official newspapers unleashed their wrath on the Israeli Occupation, but with the assurance that Egypt is patient, and decisions are not made in moments of anger.

The head of the Egyptian regime Abdel Fattah el-Sisi immediately called for the resumption of national dialogue sessions with leftist and liberal forces, despite imprisoning the opposition figure Ahmed al-Tantawi and 23 of his supporters for a year, and requested that national security and foreign policy be included in the discussions, according to al-Shorouk newspaper.

This comes within the framework of escalating media policies against “Israel” and an attempt to show that there is popular support for such measures, as seen by analysts.

Ironically, Diaa Rashwan, the general coordinator of the national dialogue, previously identified three issues excluded from the discussion in the national dialogue, namely amending the constitution, national security, and foreign policy.

Rashwan attributed Sisi's change of stance and his demand to involve opposition figures in discussions related to national security and foreign policy to "the current situation surrounding our country."

The Egyptian source previously interviewed by Al-Estiklal stated that instructions were quietly issued not to address this incident publicly, leaving the matter to consultations between the military levels in Egypt and “Israel,” with a strong desire to calm the issue due to the sensitivity of the current tension on the borders.

Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation quoted a high-ranking Egyptian official who stated that "Egypt will take the necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of the shooting incident," and that "there is no interest for any party in exaggerating the incident into a political or popular event," and "the event should not be blown out of proportion."

However, the Egyptian source clarified to Al-Estiklal that this does not mean that relations are not tense and there is Egyptian anger at what “Israel” is doing on the borders and its occupation of the Rafah crossing, causing embarrassment to the Sisi regime in front of the people and portraying it as weak, unwilling to confront Israeli aggression.

It is expected that this incident will have significant repercussions, including pressure on Netanyahu to withdraw his forces from the crossing and to cease attempting to explore tunnels between Egypt and Gaza, a claim by “Israel” that Egypt denies, asserting that it had destroyed nearly 2,000 of them in previous years.

Prior to the border incident on May 25, 2024, Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation quoted security sources stating that “Israel” was prepared to withdraw its forces from the Rafah crossing for "political and military considerations."

There were rumors that this was done in an agreement between U.S. President Joe Biden and Sisi during a call on May 24, with Egypt opening the crossing in exchange for Israeli withdrawal.