Four sources said that Egypt has begun paving the way for an area on the border with the Gaza Strip that could be used to house Palestinian refugees if an Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in the south of the Strip leads to a mass exodus across the border. The sources described this measure as an emergency move by Cairo.

Egypt, which denied making any such preparations, has repeatedly sounded the alarm about the possibility that the devastating Israeli attack on Gaza could lead to the exodus of Palestinians to Sinai, something Cairo says is completely unacceptable, repeating warnings issued by Arab countries such as Jordan.

The United States has also repeatedly said that it will oppose any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

One of the sources said that Egypt is optimistic that talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire could lead to avoiding such a scenario, but it is working to establish the zone on the border as a temporary and precautionary measure.

Three security sources said that Egypt has begun paving a desert area and establishing some simple facilities that may be used to house Palestinian refugees, stressing that this is an emergency step.

The sources that Reuters spoke to for this report refused to reveal their identities due to the sensitivity of the matter.