An Egyptian soldier was killed in an exchange with Israel near the Rafah border crossing on Monday, the military said, as Israel is under fire for indiscriminately targeting Palestinian civilians who took shelter at a tent camp in its latest massacre.
Israel's military had earlier said it was investigating reports of an exchange of fire between Israeli and Egyptian soldiers.
"A few hours ago (Monday), a shooting incident occurred on the Egyptian border. The incident is under review and discussions are being held with the Egyptians," the Israeli military said in a statement.
At least 45 Palestinians, mostly displaced women and children, were killed Sunday when a barbaric Israeli bombardment targeted a Rafah tent camp for displaced people.
Israel seized control of the Rafah border crossing from the Gaza side of the border earlier this month as it stepped up its attacks in the area, completely disregarding international calls not to target it.
Egypt is worried that Palestinians could be displaced from southern Gaza by the attacks and has also repeatedly accused Israel of holding up deliveries of humanitarian aid to the territory, as the besieged enclave is left without food and vital supplies.
Security incidents between the two countries have been rare.
In October 2023, two weeks after the start of the war in Gaza, Israel said one of its tanks had accidentally hit an Egyptian position near the border with Gaza, and Egypt said several Egyptian border guards sustained minor injuries. In June 2023, three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian security officer were killed in a clash at the border.
Israel has killed nearly 36,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border incursion by Hamas on Oct. 7.
The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.
The attack comes despite a ruling by the International Court of Justice that ordered Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
