Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
As fears grow over the potential mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza amid ongoing Israeli military operations, senior Egyptian officials are warning that any attempt to forcibly push Gaza’s population across the border into Egyptian territory could have far-reaching consequences, not just for the region, but for Europe as well.
With nearly 2 million Palestinians still trapped inside the besieged enclave, Egypt has repeatedly and unequivocally stated that it will not accept any scenario involving the forced transfer of Gaza’s population into the Sinai Peninsula. Egyptian officials have described such a move as a “red line” that would constitute a grave violation of international law and a direct threat to Egyptian sovereignty.
But now, sources close to the Egyptian government are signaling that if the international community fails to stop such a displacement, particularly if it occurs with tacit Western approval or silence, Cairo will take drastic and unconventional measures to force global accountability.
“If Egypt is left alone to bear the consequences of a forced demographic cleansing in Gaza, then Europe will not be spared the fallout,” a senior Egyptian official told a local news outlet on condition of anonymity. “We are not a dumping ground. If 2 million Palestinians are pushed into our territory against their will, we will not host them in permanent camps. They will continue their journey north.”
While the official did not elaborate, analysts interpret the message as a stark warning that any mass displacement could trigger a secondary migration wave across the Mediterranean, one that would dwarf previous refugee crises and place immense pressure on European borders and institutions.
Strategic Leverage in a Humanitarian Crisis
Egypt’s position reflects both moral conviction and strategic calculus. On one hand, Egyptian leaders, including President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, have publicly reiterated their commitment to the Palestinian cause and their rejection of any attempt to “liquidate” it by scattering its people across borders.
But there is also growing frustration in Cairo over what it sees as a lack of serious international deterrence against Israel’s military campaign and its possible long-term objectives. Egyptian intelligence and military sources have expressed concern that Israel’s operations, particularly the targeting of civilian infrastructure and the deep incursions into Gaza City, appear designed not only to defeat Hamas but to make the territory uninhabitable.
If that strategy results in an exodus across the Rafah border, Egypt insists it will not carry the burden alone.
“This is not our crisis to solve through resettlement,” said one diplomat familiar with Egyptian border policy. “If Europe does not act to prevent ethnic cleansing in Gaza, it must be prepared for the consequences of its inaction.”
A Looming Nightmare for Europe?
European governments have so far expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza but remain divided on how to respond. While some nations have called for a ceasefire and humanitarian corridors, others continue to support Israel’s military objectives, complicating efforts to form a unified response.
But should Cairo follow through on its implied threat, allowing or facilitating the movement of displaced Gazans northward through smuggling routes or irregular migration corridors, the consequences for Europe could be dramatic.
Experts warn that a sudden influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees could overwhelm already strained asylum systems, fuel political extremism, and deepen internal divisions within the European Union.
“Europe has not yet fully reckoned with the scale of what could happen if Gaza’s population is forcibly removed,” said Dr. Lina Harb, a migration policy expert at the Mediterranean Policy Forum. “Egypt holds the geographical key, and if it chooses to open that door even passively, Europe will be facing the largest wave of irregular migration since World War II.”
The Bottom Line
The message from Cairo is clear: Egypt will not allow itself to become the final destination for a population displaced by war and stripped of a homeland. And if the international community particularly Western powers, refuses to act decisively to stop the forced displacement of Palestinians, then it must be ready to host them.
As the war in Gaza intensifies and the humanitarian situation deteriorates, the world is approaching a tipping point. Whether that leads to a diplomatic breakthrough or a migration crisis of historic proportions may depend on decisions made in the coming days.
