Israel pressuring Egypt to take in Gazans – report

Senior Israeli minister met with Egyptian official in Jerusalem last month, according to report, lobbying for Cairo to drop its objections to mass migration of Gazans, claiming Egyptian people support the move.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel’s government is lobbying Egypt to take in residents of the Gaza Strip en masse, urging Cairo to drop its longstanding opposition to providing refuge for large numbers of Gazans, according to a report Sunday night.

Two officials, one Israeli, told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity that Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hosted a senior Egyptian official in Jerusalem last month.

The report described the meeting as “tense,” noting that the two leaders aired their disagreements over President Donald Trump’s Gaza resettlement plan.

Since taking office on January 20th, Trump has pressured both Cairo and Amman to agree to take in Gazans on a permanent basis, hinting the U.S. could withhold aid money should the two refuse.

Aid to Jordan has already reportedly been frozen, as part of the State Department’s across-the-board halt to nearly all foreign aid during an assessment period, while aid to Egypt and Israel has remain untouched.

During the meeting, the Egyptian official voiced his government’s opposition to the plan, reiterating Cairo’s position that the mass migration of any significant portion of Gaza’s population of roughly two million into Egypt – home to 115 million people – represents an existential threat to the country.

Dermer reportedly pressed the Egyptian official, urging Cairo to drop its opposition to the Trump plan, claiming that the Egyptian people do not share their government’s opposition to taking in Gazans.

Cairo expressed alarm at Dermer’s position and has sought to arrange further meetings between him and senior Egyptian officials to clearly convey the country’s firm rejection of the Trump proposal, the Times said.

A follow-up meeting has been planned but the date was not yet finalized.