Security coordinators and residents along Israel’s border with Egypt voiced concern in recent days following an unusual notice that the Egyptian Army was expected to hold training exercises and live-fire drills about 100 meters (328 feet) from the border. They said the proximity was dangerous and was creating a new and troubling security reality.
At the same time, Kibbutz Nahal Oz said that additional security incidents had taken place in recent days near the Gaza Strip border fence. The kibbutz warned of a lack of deterrence and a gap between official statements and the reality on the ground.
Sources in the Gaza border communities said the proximity of the Egyptian training exercises to the border is unacceptable.
“It cannot be that the Egyptian Army is allowed to train at such a distance from the fence. This is creating a new reality that could be dangerous,” they said. They added that the move contributed to a growing sense of uncertainty among residents, especially after Egyptian pickup trucks were spotted near the border several weeks ago.
The main call now is directed at the political echelon and the defense establishment to stop the training exercises and live-fire drills near the border. “The residents of the Gaza border communities are not the State of Israel’s trial balloon, and they are not a training ground for the Egyptian Army,” the local sources stressed.
The Otef Israel Forum warned against the creation of “dangerous norms” on Israel’s southern border, noting that before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, unusual movements near the fence were also observed, but were not adequately addressed in real time. “This is a painful reminder of our enemies’ method of preparing and training along the fence,” the forum said.
At the same time, Nahal Oz, one of the communities hit hardest on Oct. 7, warned that the security reality in the area was still far from stable. Over the past two weeks, two kites crossed from the Gaza Strip and landed inside the kibbutz. Residents view this incident as a troubling sign of insufficient deterrence and a possible trial run for a resumption of the launch by Gazan terrorists of incendiary kites into Israel, as was done many times in the past.
In an official statement, the kibbutz said the incidents were taking place against the backdrop of ongoing reports about Hamas rearmament and renewed entrenchment on the ground, as well as after the expiration in early April of the international ultimatum for the terrorist organization’s disarmament, without the public being given a clear picture of the situation.
Kibbutz members said the gap between the government’s statements and the situation on the ground is cause for deep concern. “Community resilience is not a blank check. In order for us to complete the rehabilitation process and ensure residents’ safe return, the state must ensure that what happened before will not happen again,” they said.
Nahal Oz officials added that care must be taken not to allow old concepts to take hold again, particularly the idea that the threat from Gaza is secondary. “Ultimately, that was a conception that collapsed in the most devastating event the country has ever known. It must not be allowed to take hold again,” they stressed.
Residents are calling on the government and Israel’s security establishment to present a full and transparent picture of the situation, act firmly against any violation of sovereignty, and prevent developments that could deteriorate into another escalation.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
