Cairo seeks to keep lid on public anger and avoid escalation as IDF moves into Philadelphi corridor in breach of 1979 peace accord

Egypt has reacted with a wall of silence to the Israeli takeover of a buffer zone in southern Gaza, in apparent defiance of a decades-old peace agreement, as Cairo sought to keep a lid on simmering public anger while also avoiding an escalation in tensions with Israel.

Israel said on Wednesday that its forces had gained “operational” control over the Philadelphi corridor – the Israeli military’s code name for the 9-mile-long (14km) strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border. Under the terms of the 1979 peace accord between Egypt and Israel, each side is allowed to deploy only a small number of troops or border guards in a demilitarised zone that stretches along the entire Israel-Egypt border and encompasses the corridor.

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© Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

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© Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

The IDF says that it is in ‘operational’ control of the buffer zone on Egypt’s border, a move which risks complicating relations with Cairo, amid Rafah offensive

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Israel is in effective control of Gaza’s entire land border after taking control of a buffer zone along the border with Egypt, Israel’s military has said, a move that risks complicating its relationship with Egypt.

In a televised briefing on Wednesday, chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had gained “operational” control over the Philadelphi Corridor, using the Israeli military’s code name for the 14km-long corridor along the Gaza Strip’s only border with Egypt.

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© Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

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© Photograph: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock

long-lost branch of the Nile that ran by the pyramids: Geological survey reveals the remains of a major waterway that ancient Egyptian builders could have used to transport materials (Freda Kreier for Nature). Satellite images and geological data now confirm that a tributary of the Nile — which researchers have named the Ahramat Branch — used to run near many of the major sites in the region several thousand years ago. The discovery, reported on 16 May in Communications Earth and Environment1, could help to explain why ancient Egyptians chose this area to build the pyramids (see 'Ancient river').

Full article in Communications Earth & Environment, authors Eman Ghoneim, Timothy J. Ralph, Suzanne Onstine, Raghda El-Behaedi, Gad El-Qady, Amr S. Fahil, Mahfooz Hafez, Magdy Atya, Mohamed Ebrahim, Ashraf Khozym & Mohamed S. Fathy.

Lawyer criticises ‘inhumane’ treatment of men who were accused over deadly sinking of vessel crossing from Libya

Greek police have been accused of the “inhumane” treatment of nine Egyptian men after placing them in detention despite a court throwing out charges against them over a deadly shipwreck.

Police said on Thursday they were placing the men in custody as it was thought they could flee the country, two days after a tribunal in the southern city of Kalamata dismissed charges against them due to a lack of jurisdiction.

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© Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

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© Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

Families highlight video showing women sitting on ground with hands tied and call for release of hostages

A two-day Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 12 Palestinians, health authorities and an Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondent said on Thursday.

Israeli troops withdrew from the city early Thursday, the AFP correspondent said, after carrying out raids in the city’s refugee camp and exchanging fire with masked gunmen in a nearby neighbourhood in the city centre.

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© Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters

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© Photograph: Hatem Khaled/Reuters

Greek court says it has no jurisdiction to hear case as disaster happened in international waters

Charges have been dropped against nine Egyptian men accused of causing one of the Mediterranean’s deadliest shipwrecks off Greece last year, after a Greek court said it had no jurisdiction to hear the case because the disaster occurred in international waters.

Up to 700 people from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt boarded a fishing trawler in Libya that was bound for Italy before sinking off the coast of Pylos, in south-western Greece, on 14 June. A hundred and four survivors were rescued and only 82 bodies were recovered.

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© Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

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© Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

Survivors of shipwreck that killed 600 people not ‘real smugglers’, say defenders, with inquiry into coastguard’s role also incomplete

Nine men accused of causing one of the deadliest shipwrecks to have taken place in the Mediterranean are “scapegoats” who should never have been prosecuted, defence lawyers have said, before their long-awaited trial in Greece.

The Egyptian suspects, who have been held in pre-trial detention since the 14 June disaster last year, will appear in court in the southern city of Kalamata on Tuesday.

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© Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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© Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Going public after I was attacked was hard, but it helped me overcome the shame that so many victims feel. By Rena Effendi

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© Photograph: Mithras/Alamy

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© Photograph: Mithras/Alamy

In the latest twist of the cyber warfare between Anonymous Egypt group and R00TK1T hackers, the latter has turned up the heat on Egyptian soil, accusing the Anonymous Egypt group of content theft. In a dark web post, R00TK1T has vowed to intensify cyberattacks on Egypt, targeting major infrastructure and organizations within the nation.  The retaliation was swift and severe — starting the attacks with cyber assaults on the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade in Egypt and a prominent software company with operations in Egypt.  The hacker used the same methods to target all the alleged victims and left several messages on their data leak channel, condemning the Anonymous Egypt group, stating, “Anonymous Egypt made a grave mistake thinking they could outsmart us. Now, it's time to show them the true power of our skills. ”

R00TK1T's Cyberattacks on Egypt Post Anonymous Egypt Confrontation

[caption id="attachment_68271" align="alignnone" width="431"] Source: Dark Web[/caption] In a declaration on dark web, R00TK1T proclaimed, "Security Is Just An Illusion, Privacy Is Just Another Illusion." They warned of impending chaos, signaling their determination to disrupt the status quo. Their message resonated with defiance: "F*ck Society & The System! We Are R00TK1T Will Be Anywhere Anytime!" The Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade was among the first victims that allegedly fell prey to R00TK1T's infiltration, with the group proudly flaunting evidence of their access to the ministry's most secure networks.  [caption id="attachment_68095" align="alignnone" width="522"] Source: X[/caption] As images surfaced, showcasing the depth of their intrusion, it became clear that R00TK1T's retaliation was not against the hacker group but the whole of Egypt. 

R00TK1T Cyberattacks Intensifies 

[caption id="attachment_68274" align="alignnone" width="443"] Source: X[/caption] But these cyberattacks on Egyptian companies didn't end there. CorporateStack, a renowned company specializing in digital transformation solutions, also fell victim to an alleged cyberattack by the hacker group.  With clients like Bentley, Vodafone, and Hexa, CorporateStack was a prime target for R00TK1T's message: no entity was beyond their reach. The group's infiltration into CorporateStack's systems sent a clear message to businesses operating in Egypt.  This is an ongoing story and The Cyber Express will be closely monitoring the situation. We’ll update this post once we have more information on the alleged cyberattacks on Egypt by the hacker group or any official confirmation from the organizations listed by R00TK1T hackers.  Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.