The Yom Kippur War and Hamas Attack: A Comparison

Cairo – On the heels of Egypt’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the surprise attack on Israel in the Yom Kippur War, Hamas militants launched their own sudden attack on southern Israeli towns. The militants took more than 100 hostages and fired over 3,000 rockets towards Israel. This attack has led to the deaths of more than 1,300 Israelis and 1,500 Palestinians, prompting comparisons between the two conflicts and criticism of Israeli intelligence and security failures.

Retired Egyptian army officer Maj. Gen. Samir Farag described the situation as a scandal for Israeli intelligence agencies, as well as the US intelligence agency. Egypt has reached out to both sides of the conflict to broker a ceasefire, but negotiations have yet to begin.

The escalation of violence has garnered support for the Palestinian cause among many Egyptians. However, government officials are concerned about the potential influx of Palestinian refugees into Egypt. The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has urged Palestinians to remain steadfast on their land to prevent a mass exodus into the Sinai Peninsula.

Recent incidents have shown sympathy and solidarity with the Palestinians among Egyptian citizens. An Egyptian policeman opened fire on a group of Israeli tourists, killing two Israelis and an Egyptian tour guide. This incident, along with another earlier this year, highlights the tension within Egypt on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In Cairo, students from the American University held a protest in support of the Palestinian people, while Al-Azhar, the leading Sunni Islamic institution, praised the Palestinian resistance. Despite signing a peace treaty in 1979, Egypt’s relations with Israel are still viewed by many as a “cold peace.”

As the Israeli army continues its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, northern Sinai Governor Gen. Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shousha lifted the state of emergency in the region to prepare for potential influx of Gazans. The Egyptian army has increased surveillance along the borders with Israel and Gaza to prevent militant infiltration and has sent medical aid to Gaza.

The Israeli army’s call for Gazan residents to flee to Sinai caused anger among Egyptian officials, who warned against pushing Palestinians towards Egyptian borders. Egyptian national security analyst Gen. Mohammed Abdel-Wahed stated that this warning emphasizes Egypt’s sovereignty and dismisses any Israeli hopes of transferring Palestinians to Sinai.

Egyptian politician Amr Moussa called for Arab nations to push for peace negotiations and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. President al-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s efforts to halt the conflict, protect civilians, and maintain regional security and stability.