Last updated: 28 May 2024, 19:00 Egypt time
The Killing of Soldier Abdullah Ramadan
Egyptian soldier Abdullah Ramadan was killed while on duty guarding the Egyptian border at the Rafah crossing, at the most forward position on the border. Abdullah, 22, was from the village of El-Agamiyeen in Ibshaway district, Fayoum Governorate. He held a diploma and was performing his two-year military service guarding the border.
Abdullah was in the Raad 14 tower, the most forward position at the Rafah crossing, and belonged to the Nimr company of the First Border Guard Regiment (S1). According to multiple accounts, Abdullah opened fire and Israeli forces responded by firing a tank shell at the tower, killing him instantly.
The Killing of Soldier Islam Ibrahim Abdel Razek
Soldier Islam Ibrahim Abdel Razek, 22, from Ezbet Gaballah in Sinnuris district, Fayoum Governorate, was killed, according to multiple sources, including members of his family.
Islam held a technical diploma and worked as a “crepe” craftsman before joining the army in December 2022 for two years of military service. He was due to finish his conscription in six months, in December 2024.
Islam served in the infantry (special conditions, “counter-terrorism”) in a battalion of the Second Field Army based in Ismailia Governorate, and was then moved to Rafah to support the forces there. The battalion in which he served was responsible for the internal security of the separation wall with the Gaza Strip, 100 metres from the Egyptian-Palestinian border.
The Official Statement
Egyptian military spokesperson Colonel Staff Gharib Abdel Hafez announced in a statement that “the armed forces are conducting investigations through the competent authorities into the shooting incident in the Rafah border strip, which resulted in the death of one of the personnel assigned to security”.
The official spokesperson of the Egyptian Armed Forces announced the opening of an investigation into the shooting incident in the Rafah border strip, which resulted in the death of one of the soldiers assigned to secure the area. This came in a statement by the Egyptian military spokesperson on social media.
The Israeli army also announced a shooting incident on the border with Egypt, noting that it occurred “a few hours ago”. The Israeli army said the incident is under review and that discussions are being held with the Egyptian side.
The Israeli army said in its statement on Monday that “the incident is under investigation and communication with the Egyptians is ongoing”. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth added that there were no casualties among the Israeli army.
Earlier on Monday, Israeli media reported an “unusual incident” between the Israeli and Egyptian armies at the Rafah crossing, and said Israel was investigating its details. Israel’s Channel 13 reported that “Egyptian soldiers opened fire on Israeli soldiers at the Rafah crossing without causing casualties”. The channel added that “the incident comes at the height of tension with Egypt and may have political consequences”.
For its part, Israel’s Channel 14 reported that “the Israeli army fired warning shots after the shooting by Egyptian forces”. Minutes after this news was published, the same media outlets deleted the information about the incident on the instructions of the military censor.
In another context, the Israeli army announced last October that one of its tanks had “accidentally fired” and hit an Egyptian position near the border in the Kerem Shalom area. The Israeli army’s spokesperson for Arab media, Avichay Adraee, said the Israeli army expressed regret for the incident and that an investigation into its details was under way.
In a statement, the Egyptian army said that “one of the Egyptian border observation towers was accidentally hit by shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell during the ongoing clashes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, 22 October 2023, resulting in minor injuries to some border observation personnel”. The statement added that “the Israeli side expressed regret for the unintentional incident immediately after it occurred, and an investigation into its circumstances is under way”.
It is worth noting that the Kerem Shalom crossing lies on the border between the Gaza Strip, Egypt and Israel, and has been closed since Hamas’s attacks on Israel on 7 October and the subsequent Israeli strikes on Gaza, while the Rafah crossing lies to the north of Kerem Shalom and is the only crossing open with Gaza.
