Source: Egyptian soldier killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers near Rafah crossing

A “personnel assigned to the protection duty” was killed on Monday in “an incident of gunfire in the border area of Rafah,” the Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson said in a Monday afternoon statement, adding that “competent authorities” are currently investigating the incident.

An informed government official told Mada Masr on condition of anonymity that an Egyptian soldier was killed in clashes between Egyptian and Israeli soldiers that took place near the Rafah border crossing.

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that an Egyptian soldier was killed and that there were no injuries on the Israeli side.

The IDF released a statement stating that “a shooting incident” was being investigated and that it is in dialogue with the Egyptian side, without divulging further details. 

Less than 24 hours earlier, the Israeli military struck an area housing displaced people, killing at least 45 Palestinians in the Palestinian Rafah, which it had designated as a safe humanitarian zone.

Reports varied as to how the incident began.

Occupation news outlet Walla claimed that Israeli personnel initiated gunfire and that, alongside the soldier who was killed, two Egyptian soldiers were injured. Yet, some Israeli media outlets reported that Egyptian soldiers had fired at an Israeli military truck, prompting Israeli soldiers to return fire. The report noted that people were injured without specifying whether those injured were Egyptian or Israeli.

Israeli Channel 13 cited Israeli sources describing the incident as "unusual" and suggesting that it "may have significant political consequences."

A correspondent for Al Jazeera in Ramallah said that the Israeli Military Censor initially restricted the publication of news regarding the incident before later lifting the ban.

Israel invaded Rafah three weeks ago, occupying the Palestinian side of the border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip and sparking tensions between Israel and Egypt. 

Egypt closed the crossing from its side, preventing aid and travelers from passing through it as long as the crossing remained under Israeli control.

A prior incident at the Egyptian-Israeli border in 2023 saw Egyptian conscript Mohamed Salah open fire on Israeli soldiers after breaking through an emergency passage in the barrier on the border. The incident led to the death of three Israeli soldiers. Israeli media outlets disclosed Salah’s identity.

At the time, the Egyptian military spokesperson said that the incident involved a breach by a member of an Egyptian security unit tasked with securing the international border while pursuing drug smugglers, leading to an exchange of fire. This led to the death of three Israeli soldiers stationed at the barrier, the injury of two others and the death of the Egyptian security personnel.

The Israeli military later stated that a joint investigation conducted with the Egyptian military had identified Salah as a “saboteur,” while an Israeli senior military official was reprimanded for overall accountability in the incident. Another reprimand was directed at the commander of the unit from which two soldiers were killed in the shooting, and he was prohibited from promotion for five years. A brigade commander involved in the confrontation with the Egyptian conscript that led to the death of one of his soldiers was relieved of his position and transferred elsewhere. The Israeli military also blocked security passages along the border barrier and shortened the duration of soldiers’ 12-hour shifts at the border, while setting minimum quotients for the number of soldiers required for various missions.