Egypt, Israel, and Palestinian entities engage in structured
border cooperation primarily along the Gaza Strip's frontiers with Egypt's
Sinai Peninsula and Israel, focusing on security, humanitarian access, and
limited trade. This framework, anchored in the 1979 peace treaty, manages
critical crossings like Rafah and the Phildelphi Corridor to mitigate
smuggling, terrorism, and instability spillover. These arrangements have proven
resilient across conflicts, enabling controlled flows while prioritizing
national security interests for all parties involved.
Historical Foundations
The foundation of contemporary border cooperation traces back to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, signed on March 26 following the Camp David Accords negotiated by U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
This agreement
resolved the 1973 Yom Kippur War aftermath, stipulating Israel's complete
withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula in exchange for normalized relations and
demilitarized zones along their 245-kilometer shared border. Specifically, the
treaty divided Sinai into three zones: Zone A near the Suez Canal limited to
four Egyptian infantry divisions; Zone B allowing four mechanized divisions;
and Zone C, adjacent to Israel, remaining fully demilitarized with only
civilian police.
A key component was the Philadelphi Accord, an annex
deploying 750 Egyptian border guards along the 13.5-kilometer Gaza-Egypt border
to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza. Rafah Border Crossing, established in
1982, initially operated under joint Egyptian-Israeli-Palestinian supervision,
with Israel holding remote monitoring capabilities until its 2005 disengagement
from Gaza. Post-2005, the Philadelphi Protocol expanded Egyptian deployments to
18 posts, incorporating police, military units, and armored vehicles for
patrols.
Following Hamas's 2007 takeover of Gaza, Egypt ramped up
fortifications. By 2009, a sand barrier was erected, followed by concrete walls
extending 10-18 meters underground by 2013, alongside the destruction of
approximately 1,400 smuggling tunnels identified through intelligence. In
2014-2015, during Operation Martyr's Son against Sinai insurgents, Egypt
created a 5-kilometer buffer zone from Rafah city, demolishing over 2,000
structures and displacing around 2,000 families temporarily while flooding
tunnel networks.
By 2025, enhancements included 14 kilometers of 6-meter-high
and deep concrete barriers equipped with radar, seismic sensors, and thermal
imaging, reducing infiltration attempts significantly.
These measures adhered to Treaty Article VI, which prohibits
both parties from using their territory for belligerent acts against the other,
and aligned with UN Security Council Resolution 242's emphasis on secure,
recognized boundaries. Earlier precedents, such as the 1967 Six-Day War border
closures and 1970s blockade disputes, underscored the treaty's role in
transforming a conflict zone into a managed frontier.
Key Border Infrastructure
Rafah Border Crossing stands as Gaza's sole non-Israeli land outlet, spanning the 13.5-kilometer Philadelphi Corridor and handling up to 30-50% of pre-conflict passenger and goods traffic. Managed by Egypt's General Authority for Transit Tunnels (GATT) since 2007, operations mandate Palestinian Authority (PA) staffing on the Gaza side, explicitly excluding Hamas personnel following 2015 security closures.
The facility comprises dual terminals: the
Gaza terminal under PA control with basic customs, and the Egyptian side
featuring advanced X-ray scanners, explosive trace detectors, and vehicle
inspection bays capable of processing 600 trucks daily at peak.
Pre-2023 war data indicates Rafah facilitated around 70,000
monthly crossings, including medical patients, traders, and pilgrims, though
volumes fluctuated with security protocols. Adjacent infrastructure includes
the Salah al-Din Gate for heavy goods and the Egypt-Gaza rail link,
sporadically operational for aid convoys from Al-Arish port.
The Philadelphi Corridor itself, a 100-150-meter-wide buffer
strip, hosts Egypt's Battalion 82 with approximately 1,200 troops, supported by
Israeli surveillance cameras and joint notification protocols. It has
intercepted an estimated 80% of smuggling attempts according to bilateral
reports. Complementing this, Kerem Shalom serves as a tripartite junction for
Israel-Gaza-Egypt goods transit, secured by Egyptian patrols on southern
approaches.
Further south, the 245-kilometer Israel-Egypt "smart
fence" from Kerem Shalom to Eilat, completed in 2013, integrates motion
sensors, unmanned drones, and rapid-response units, blocking over 20,000
irregular African migrants annually before volumes declined post-2020. Inland,
Sinai's upgraded Al-Arish-Rafah highway and rail corridors, built with U.S.
aid, streamline humanitarian convoys coordinated through 2005-established
tripartite committees involving Egypt, Israel, PA, and international observers.
Security Cooperation Mechanisms
Bilateral intelligence-sharing centers in Cairo and Tel Aviv
provide real-time data fusion on threats like ISIS-Wilayat Sinai, which
launched over 1,000 attacks in Sinai since 2011, including cross-border raids.
Joint efforts post-2013 ousted militants from Rafah outskirts, with Egypt
declaring Sinai a military zone in 2012 to deploy up to 40,000 troops within
treaty limits by 2025.
Specialized tunnel detection units employ ground-penetrating
radar, remote-controlled robots, and foaming agents, neutralizing over 2,500
tunnels by 2024. Naval patrols in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Suez, augmented
by U.S.-supplied patrol boats, monitor maritime smuggling routes.
In response to the 2023-2025 Gaza conflict, 2024 protocols
allowed up to 50 daily evacuations of wounded individuals including combatants
via Rafah, subject to Egyptian escorts and Israeli vetting. Egypt consistently
rejected proposals for mass Palestinian refugee influxes, citing potential
treaty violations and domestic stability risks.
The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM Rafah),
active from 2005-2007, trained over 1,000 Egyptian guards and maintains liaison
offices for monitoring. Regular tripartite security meetings at Nitzana
crossing address Philadelphi patrols and incident notifications. These layered
defenses buffers, walls, tech surveillance correlated with a 95% drop in
cross-border attacks from 2011 peaks, per Egyptian security reports.
Diplomatic Mediation Role
Egypt has mediated approximately 80% of Israel-Hamas
ceasefires since 2008, positioning Rafah control as a key leverage point. In
2025 Cairo-hosted talks, intelligence chief Abbas Kamel facilitated over 20
rounds, advancing proposals for phased hostage releases in exchange for aid
surges and expanded PA authority at Rafah.
Building on the 2014 Shati Accord for Palestinian
reconciliation, Egypt conditioned Rafah reopenings on Fatah-Hamas unity
governments, training 500 PA guards in Cairo for post-2024 Israeli withdrawals.
Diplomatic initiatives incorporated two-state solution outlines from the Arab
Peace Initiative, emphasizing 1967 borders.
During the 2024 Rafah incursion, Egypt-PA memoranda ensured
transitional staffing mechanisms. Coordination with Qatar, UAE, and the U.S.
involved shuttle diplomacy, with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri issuing
statements reaffirming "no refugees on Egyptian soil" under Camp
David commitments. These interventions helped avert the displacement of 1.9
million Gazans, as estimated by UN agencies.
Humanitarian Aid Channels
Rafah has channeled over 500,000 tons of aid during
2023-2025, including flour rations sustaining 2 million Gazans and medical
supplies via cold-chain facilities storing 10,000 vaccine doses. Dual
inspection protocols by Egyptian and international monitors enable peaks of 600
trucks daily post-truce periods.
Medical evacuations total 40,000 since 2007, with 2024
amendments permitting wounded fighters' passage under strict approvals. Egypt
constructed field hospitals in Sinai accommodating 5,000 patients, waiving fees
for 80% of aid amid its $10 billion economic strain from COVID-19 and Ukraine
war impacts.
Joint UAE-Egypt initiatives deployed 100,000 tents in Muassi and northwest Rafah/Khan Yunis areas, sheltering up to 200,000 displaced persons. Buffer zone expansions, while demolishing 2,239 structures, secured convoy routes from Al-Arish, ensuring uninterrupted flows during escalations.