Egypt Threatens to Send 1 Million Refugees from Gaza to EU Countries

The Egyptian leadership is highly dissatisfied with Western pressure regarding the accommodation of refugees from the Gaza Strip, threatening to send the displaced individuals to the European Union. Western countries want Egypt to accept 1 million people, but in that case, they would go to Europe, said one anonymous senior official in Egypt during a conversation with a European counterpart, as reported by the Financial Times and РИА Новости.

Egypt fears that the West will insist that these individuals be settled in the Sinai Peninsula. Cairo intends to assist those affected in the escalation zone but will resist any attempts to accept 'more refugees.'

On Monday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stated that forced relocation will not resolve the Palestinian crisis. At the same time, authorities have temporarily opened the Rafah crossing near the Gaza border, allowing only citizens of third countries to travel.

Earlier, Egypt announced plans to host an international summit to discuss the situation related to Palestine.