分类： world

A comprehensive investigation utilizing satellite imagery, flight records, and intelligence sources has revealed Egypt’s covert military involvement in Sudan’s civil conflict. According to evidence compiled by The New York Times and Middle East Eye, Egypt has been conducting sustained drone operations from a clandestine airbase concealed within the vast East Oweinat agricultural reclamation project in Egypt’s western desert, approximately 65 kilometers from the Sudanese border.

The operations, ongoing for at least six months, represent a significant escalation in Egypt’s engagement, transitioning from diplomatic efforts to direct military action against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This paramilitary group, accused of perpetrating genocide and massacring thousands of civilians in North Darfur’s el-Fasher, has gained substantial territory against the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), which Cairo officially supports.

The conflict has evolved into a regional proxy war with complex international dimensions. The United Arab Emirates stands accused of facilitating support for the RSF, partially through Libyan eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar, who controls the strategic al-Kufra airbase. Conversely, Egypt has aligned with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar in backing the Sudanese government forces.

Recent weeks have witnessed unprecedented public tensions between traditional Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Riyadh adopting an assertive stance against Emirati regional policies. Cairo has reportedly shared intelligence with Saudi Arabia regarding UAE activities in Yemen, where similar proxy dynamics have unfolded.

Ironically, the very base from which Egyptian drones target RSF positions has received foreign investment from major Emirati agricultural companies, highlighting the complex economic and geopolitical interconnections.

The RSF acknowledged in November that foreign-based drones were striking their forces and issued warnings of retaliation at “the appropriate time and place.” Meanwhile, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described el-Fasher as “largely destroyed” and “empty” following a January assessment, revealing the catastrophic human toll of the conflict.

In a significant development for the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt partially resumed operations on Monday under a tightly controlled pilot program. An Israeli security official confirmed the reopening, marking the first time in over two years that Palestinian residents can utilize this critical gateway.

The initial phase will see extremely limited traffic, with Egyptian state-linked media reporting just 50 people permitted to cross in each direction daily. This cautious approach follows months of intense diplomatic pressure from international aid organizations highlighting Gaza’s deteriorating humanitarian situation.

The reopening comes against a backdrop of renewed violence. Gaza’s civil defense reported dozens killed in Israeli strikes over the weekend, which the military described as retaliation for Palestinian fighters emerging from a tunnel in Rafah city—an action Israel claims violated the fragile US-brokered ceasefire in effect since October 10.

European Union border assistance mission (EUBAM) teams have arrived to monitor operations and support Palestinian border guards. Israeli state broadcaster Kan indicated the crossing would operate for approximately six hours daily during this initial phase.

For Gaza’s residents, the crossing represents a vital lifeline. Mohammed Nassir, a Palestinian who underwent leg amputation due to war injuries, expressed desperate hope: ‘I need to undergo surgery that is unavailable in Gaza but can be performed abroad.’

Medical preparations are underway on the Egyptian side, with AlQahera News (linked to Egypt’s state intelligence) reporting that 150 hospitals and 300 ambulances have been prepared to receive Palestinian patients. Additionally, 12,000 doctors and 30 rapid deployment teams have been allocated for their care.

The reopening follows Israel’s recovery and burial of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, whose return Israel had previously tied to the crossing’s resumption. Despite this development, COGAT, Israel’s defense ministry body coordinating Palestinian civilian affairs, made no mention of allowing the long-awaited surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza, focusing only on individual movement.

The conflict, sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,221 people according to Israeli figures, has left Gaza with at least 71,795 fatalities according to the Hamas-run health ministry—figures the UN considers reliable. Rafah remains under Israeli military control following their withdrawal behind a designated ‘Yellow Line’ as part of the ceasefire agreement, with Israeli troops still controlling more than half of Gaza territory.

The Israeli military issued urgent evacuation warnings for residents of southern Lebanese villages on Monday, signaling impending airstrikes against Hezbollah targets. Through Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee on social media platform X, the military announced its intention to “strike military infrastructure belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the near future.” The warning specifically identified buildings in the villages of Kfar Tibnit and Ain Qana that required immediate evacuation.

This development follows recent Israeli military actions, including a January 27 operation targeting what Israel described as Hezbollah infrastructure across multiple southern Lebanese locations. Reuters additionally reported that Israeli military spokespersons confirmed plans to attack specific sites in the village of Yanouh, marking the second such operation within days.

The heightened tensions occur despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in 2024 that ended over a year of intense fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. That conflict had culminated in Israeli strikes that significantly degraded the Iran-backed militant group’s capabilities. Since the ceasefire, both sides have repeatedly exchanged accusations of violations.

In a parallel diplomatic development, both nations have dispatched civilian envoys to a military committee overseeing the ceasefire arrangement. This move represents a step toward fulfilling the United States’ months-long demand for expanded talks, aligning with former President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace agenda. The committee’s work aims to maintain the fragile truce while addressing ongoing security concerns in the region.

A tentative medical evacuation process commenced from southern Gaza on Monday, marking a fragile humanitarian breakthrough amid persistent regional instability. The first contingent of five critically ill patients, accompanied by ten family members, departed from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society’s field headquarters in Khan Younis toward the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

This limited movement occurred as the crucial border passage reopened on a trial basis for the first time since Israeli forces assumed control of the Palestinian side in May 2024. The Rafah crossing has historically served as Gaza’s primary gateway for both humanitarian aid and civilian movement.

The evacuation approval process revealed significant operational challenges. According to Dr. Atef al-Hout, director of Nasser Medical Complex, Israeli authorities approved merely five patients from a list of 27 urgently requiring overseas medical treatment. Dr. al-Hout characterized the situation as being mired in ‘ambiguity and lack of clarity’ regarding travel permissions.

Simultaneously, violence continued elsewhere in Gaza. Palestinian medical sources reported three fatalities from separate Israeli military actions, including a three-year-old child killed by naval shelling south of Khan Younis and a civilian casualty in northern Gaza from an Israeli drone strike on a displacement shelter.

Gaza health authorities provided sobering statistics, indicating that despite the current ceasefire effective since October 2025, at least 526 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, contributing to a devastating total death toll of 71,800 since the conflict’s inception in October 2023.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the specific incidents reported Monday, highlighting the ongoing communication challenges in the region.

A deeply contentious policy implemented by Israeli authorities has come under intense international scrutiny, with reports confirming the withholding of at least 766 identified Palestinian bodies. Nearly half of these individuals have been held since October 2023, a period marked by significant escalation in regional conflict, despite Hamas having returned all Israeli captives’ remains.

Official data reveals that the majority of these Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces, while 88 were detainees who perished while in Israeli custody over the preceding two years. This group comprises 53 individuals from Gaza, 32 from the occupied West Bank, and three Palestinian citizens of Israel. According to investigations by Haaretz, 373 of these bodies entered Israeli possession following the October 7 attacks.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths of those in detention are particularly alarming. Most were being held without formal charge or trial, with their deaths subsequently attributed to either direct violence perpetrated by Israeli officers or the deplorable conditions within detention facilities.

Compounding this situation, Israel continues to retain the bodies of seven additional prisoners who died prior to the recent conflict in Gaza, as documented by the Palestinian organisation Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC). The organization further reports that an unknown number of Palestinian bodies, belonging to individuals killed during and after the 1967 conflict, remain withheld and buried in undisclosed locations within Israel.

The disposition of these remains varies significantly. Haaretz reports that 520 identified bodies are currently stored in morgues at military facilities, while approximately 256 have been interred in what Palestinians refer to as ‘cemeteries of numbers’—burial sites marked solely by numerical identifiers rather than names. These cemeteries contain the remains of Palestinians and other Arabs, with some graves dating as far back as 1948.

This practice represents a long-standing Israeli policy wherein forces routinely seize the bodies of Palestinians killed in both the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Many families had placed their hopes in the October agreement between Israel and Hamas, which included provisions for the exchange of both living and deceased prisoners alongside efforts to conclude hostilities in Gaza. However, Israel only returned 360 Palestinian bodies as part of this arrangement, with JLAC confirming that just approximately 100 were identified, while the remainder were buried as unknown individuals.

Disturbing evidence has emerged regarding the condition of bodies returned by Israel. Sources indicate numerous cases showing signs of torture, execution-style killings, and injuries consistent with being run over by military vehicles. Forensic examinations revealed severe abuse including strangulation marks, multiple broken bones, and various forms of mutilation. Several bodies were discovered with hands and feet bound and eyes blindfolded, while others were missing limbs entirely.

Multiple human rights organizations have consistently condemned Israel’s policy of withholding Palestinian bodies, demanding immediate release and repatriation to grieving families. Although Israeli law currently permits this practice through a 2018 amendment to the Counterterrorism Law—later upheld by the Israeli Supreme Court—that authorizes the state to withhold bodies of Palestinians deemed to have committed violent acts, this stands in direct contradiction to international humanitarian law. The Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits the withholding of bodies, mandating that the deceased must be treated with dignity, afforded honorable burial, and where possible, laid to rest according to their religious rites. Article 130 further stipulates that graves must be respected, properly maintained, and clearly marked to ensure perpetual recognition.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt resumed operations on Monday, February 2, 2026, marking a significant development after remaining closed since May 2024. Initial reports from Egyptian state-linked media indicate controlled movement will characterize the reopening phase.

According to AlQahera News, which maintains connections to Egyptian state intelligence, approximately fifty people are expected to transit from Egypt into Gaza while another fifty will move in the opposite direction during the initial operational days. An unnamed source quoted by the outlet described these numbers as part of a carefully managed reactivation of the critical border point.

Independent verification from the ground confirms early activity, with an AFP source at the border observing several dozen individuals gathered on the Egyptian side awaiting processing and entry into Gaza. The reopening follows Israel’s announcement on February 1 regarding the crossing’s partial restoration, though specific operational details and eligibility criteria for crossing remain subject to ongoing coordination between Egyptian and Israeli authorities.

The reactivation of Rafah crossing represents a crucial humanitarian corridor for Gaza’s population, potentially enabling family reunifications, medical transfers, and limited commercial movement. However, the initial limited capacity suggests a phased approach to border normalization rather than an immediate return to full operational status.