An Egyptian soldier has been killed in a shooting along the border of Gaza, following reports of exchanges of gunfire between Israel and Egypt.
Egypt’s military spokesperson confirmed that a member of its security forces had been killed near the Rafah border crossing.
The Israeli military said it was investigating reports of an exchange of gunfire between Israeli and Egyptian troops.
“A few hours ago [Monday], a shooting incident occurred on the Egyptian border. The incident is under review and discussions are being held with the Egyptians,” the Israeli military said.
The Egyptian military said in a statement: “The Egyptian Armed Forces are conducting an investigation through the competent authorities regarding a shooting incident in the border area in Rafah, which led to the martyrdom of one of the personnel.”
Israeli army sources told Haaretz that several others were wounded during the gunfire exchange, with initial testimonies from combat soldiers indicating that an Egyptian soldier fired first toward the IDF forces. However, the circumstances have not yet determined, the sources said.
Tensions around the Rafah border have risen in recent weeks, and Israel seized control of the Gazan side of the Rafah crossing during its military offensive.
Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1979 and have worked together on security issues around their borders since, collaborating on a blockade of Gaza after Hamas took control of the territory in 2007.
But in June 2023, three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian security officer were killed in a clash at the border.
In October, two weeks after the start of the war in Gaza, Israel said one of its tanks had accidentally hit an Egyptian position, with several Egyptian border guards sustaining minor injuries.
It comes after at least 45 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Rafah on Sunday night, according to Palestinian health workers, with dozens wounded and more feared trapped in flaming debris.
The attacks came just hours after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets from Gaza towards Tel Aviv for the first time in months.
Israel said the airstrike was against Hamas commanders, with precision munitions and led by intelligence, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later called the strike a “tragic error”.
Many of the casualties in Rafah are people who have been living in tents at a camp in the Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, with a fire believed to have broken out after the attack.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it was “aware of reports indicating that as a result of the strike and fire that was ignited several civilians in the area were harmed. The incident is under review.”
The airstrikes came despite the UN’s top court calling for the country to “immediately halt” its strikes on the city.
This story is being updated.
