Israeli media said that Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy and Director of the Internal Security Agency (Shin Bet) Ronen Bar visited Egypt on Wednesday in preparation for a possible military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper and the Kan channel reported that Halevy and Bar met with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.

The Israeli channel did not provide further details about the purpose of the visit, but Israeli Army Radio said that Halevy and Bar’s visit to Egypt came in preparation for the expected Israeli ground operation in Rafah.

Yesterday evening, Tuesday, Egypt denied the validity of an American press report about its exchange of military plans with Israel regarding Rafah.

Cairo affirmed its complete rejection of the possibility of an invasion of Rafah, according to a statement by the head of the Egyptian Information Service, Diaa Rashwan, who affirmed “the firm Egyptian position declared several times by the political leadership in completely rejecting this invasion.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi warned on Wednesday of "catastrophic repercussions" if Israel invaded the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to a devastating Israeli war for more than 200 days.

This came during a phone call that the Egyptian President received from the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency, which said that the two sides discussed “bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them and developments in the situation in the Gaza Strip.” They also discussed “Egyptian efforts to restore regional stability by reaching an agreement.” A ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the entry of humanitarian aid.”

The Egyptian President stressed "the necessity of stopping the war on the Gaza Strip," warning against "any military operations in the Palestinian Rafah, as they will have catastrophic repercussions on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as well as on regional peace and security."

Warning of Rafah invasion: The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that the Israeli army is preparing to invade Rafah “very soon” in an operation that “includes the evacuation of large numbers of residents” and with American approval.

Israel insists on invading Rafah, claiming that it is "the last stronghold of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)" despite increasing international warnings of catastrophic repercussions in light of the presence of about 1.4 million displaced people there.

Since last October 7, Israel has been waging a war on Gaza that has left more than 112,000 dead and wounded - most of them children and women - famine and massive destruction, according to Palestinian and UN data.

Despite the issuance of an immediate ceasefire resolution by the UN Security Council and despite its appearance before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing “genocide,” Israel continues its devastating war on the Gaza Strip.

Source: Anatolia Agency + Yedioth Ahronoth + Al Jazeera