Egyptian guards along the border with Gaza
Egyptian guards along the border with GazaIsrael News Photo: Flash 90

Jihadist chatter of recent weeks has been focusing on Egypt and its construction of a security fence along its border with the Palestinian Authority. Al-Qaeda, meanwhile, calls the Palestinian Authority itself "sinful".

The Jihadist claims the fence Egypt is building between Gaza and Egypt is being constructed with Israeli funds.

According to analysts from the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response (ITRR), one intercepted communication, originating in North Africa, calls for "all the jihadist groups in Palestine to come out against the Egyptian forces on the border with Gaza, because they are trying lately to isolate Gaza from the rest of the world, and especially to build a steel 11-kilometer fence. ...We invite all the jihadist groups in Gaza to use all possible methods against the Egyptian army, from sniper action from afar to firing RPGs."

The jihadist claims that the fence Egypt is building between Gaza and Egypt is being constructed with Israeli funds and American support.

The planned fence is meant to cut down on above-ground smuggling and illegal migration between Gaza and the Egyptian Sinai. The fence will likely have little to no impact on the network of terrorist weapons smuggling tunnels operating freely between Egypt and Hamas-controlled Gaza. Another, below-ground obstacle is reportedly being planned for hindering the digging of tunnels.

While low-level jihadist chatter is focusing on Egypt, a new recording by Al-Qaeda's second-in-command, Ayman Al-Zawahiri, attacks the Palestinian Authority's Mahmoud Abbas and Mohammad Dahlan. The PA leaders are chastised for signing a "sinful agreement" regarding the control over crossings into and out of Gaza. That expired agreement, Zawahiri says, "chokes our people in Gaza".

ITRR analysts believe that "there will be some international jihadist or local Gaza attacks on Egyptian military forces, as well as the possible targeting of civilians as well." There is a distinct possibility that Muslim fundamentalists may escalate their efforts to carry out large-scale attacks on Sinai resorts, as has been the case in the past. Israelis and Americans in Egypt remain a high-priority target for Al-Qaeda and its sympathizers, noted the ITRR researchers.

Far-leftist and Anarchist activists from Israel and abroad hold regular violent protests over Israel's security fence along its border with the Palestinian Authority. IDF soldiers have confronted the protesters with tear gas and other riot control methods. There is no word if the protesters will be confronting Egyptian soldiers in anti-fence activities along the Egypt-Gaza border.