Hommam Al Nassim 
Egyptian officials made a large number of requests to the United States during the Gaza war negotiations, including funding and security equipment.
According to five unnamed officials from Egypt, the United States, and Israel, Cairo has in recent months asked the United States to consider assistance to provide additional funding and new military equipment, such as security and radar systems, to secure the border with Gaza in preparation for an Israeli ground military operation in Rafah.
This came as US officials deliberated with their counterparts in Qatar, Egypt, and Israel to draw up a ceasefire plan to allow the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Israel announced its intention to expel Hamas militants from the southern part of the territory through a ground operation in Rafah, prompting Egyptian officials to request security support and funding for their army’s handling of the potential influx of Gazans on the border.
For its part, Egypt issued a strongly worded statement last January, warning Israel of any threat to relations between the two countries, especially in the event that Israel moves towards “occupying” the Philadelphia axis between Gaza and Egypt.
Two U.S. officials said the Egyptian petitions, “while exemplary, especially in the midst of intense international negotiations, added a layer of complexity to the talks and slowed their speed.”
“For Israel to move forward with the invasion of Rafah, we really need Egypt’s approval,” the Israeli official said, adding: “It’s their border that they’re worried about they don’t want to house all the residents of Gaza in Rafah.”
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment to Politico magazine, and the U.S. State Department declined to comment.
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