‘Don’t kill on our soil, or you’ll find us in Tel Aviv’

Bakry also referred to a report that Egypt had tightened security around senior Palestinian officials in Cairo after the attempt, lashing out: “Beware of this language. You will not cross our borders, and you will not kill on our soil. Egypt cannot be invaded. Egypt is strong and healthy. And if you cross the country’s borders for any reason, you will find us the next day in Tel Aviv. You have been warned.”

Mostafa Bakry: ‘Don’t kill on our soil, or you’ll find us in Tel Aviv’

He delivered the remarks on his program on Egypt’s “Sada El-Balad” channel, where he also echoed comments by President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi at the Arab emergency summit in Qatar. El-Sissi warned that the capture of Gaza “undermines the future of peace” between Egypt and Israel. “These are important messages that I hope Israel’s government understands,” Bakry said. “When President el-Sissi speaks so forcefully, it is a signal that achieving peace comes with conditions that cannot be ignored.”

Meanwhile, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported Saturday that Egypt is preparing for possible waves of displacement from Gaza toward its border. A senior Egyptian military official told the paper that “commanders have received instructions to prepare for emergencies, including not to fire at Palestinians approaching the border and to act according to humanitarian standards.”

The report follows similar coverage in the Arab press, including Al-Araby Al-Jadeed in Qatar, which cited “two informed sources” as saying that Cairo fears potential mass displacement into Sinai. Egyptian forces on the border with Gaza and Israel are reportedly on “full alert.”

It should be noted that neither of these outlets are aligned with Egypt’s official policy, and such reports often aim to drive a wedge between Cairo and Jerusalem. They come against the backdrop of past disputes, including the “Qatargate” scandal and ongoing competition between Doha and Cairo over who will lead the cease-fire and hostage negotiations.According to Al-Akhbar, with Israel’s ground offensive in Gaza City underway under Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, U.S.-brokered talks are ongoing between Israel and Egypt. The report claims Israel has assumed “full responsibility” for preventing Gazans from reaching the Rafah crossing.

The paper cited an Egyptian source warning that Cairo threatened immediate military escalation in the event of mass displacement, including “doubling troop levels and moving heavy weapons and aircraft into Sinai within 72 hours, including Area C, where only police forces are currently deployed.” The source said displacement to the border is seen as a direct threat to Egypt’s national security, requiring “a different military posture.”

Cairo reportedly views the deployment of heavy equipment and troops as a “deterrent signal” to Israel to prevent displacement “at least in the short term.” The report also said Egypt expressed frustration through U.S. intermediaries about Israeli leaks suggesting drones had been used to smuggle weapons into Gaza, calling the claim “illogical” given the level of coordination between Cairo and Jerusalem.

Al-Araby Al-Jadeed further claimed that Egypt suspects Israel of attempting demographic engineering in Gaza to force population transfers into Sinai. Its sources stressed that despite the crisis, Egypt would not suspend security agreements or existing protocols with Israel. They also said the U.S. and Israel “do not want Egypt to play an active role in the upcoming negotiations at this stage, particularly amid the displacement of Palestinians toward the Egyptian border.”