Egypt has built more than 3km of wall in the past week in addition to further clearance of a large area next to its border with Gaza, BBC Verify has found.
It comes after Israel warned it is preparing for a ground offensive in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah.
The city has seen a huge increase in its population in recent months.
Egyptian authorities say “no provisions” are being made for displaced Palestinians and the area is meant for a “logistical hub” for aid.
But an aid worker for a UK charity, who is part of the humanitarian efforts in Gaza, told the BBC she had “never seen large scale clearing of land” for such a logistical hub and they were unaware of any such plan.
More than 16 sq km (6 sq miles) have been cleared just over the border from Gaza, visible in the recent satellite images.
Cleared area in northern Egypt near border
The clearing of this area began at the start of February, but has expanded dramatically over the past week.
On 14 February, about 0.8km (0.5 miles) of wall were visible in satellite imagery, but the most recent pictures indicate more that than 4km (2.5 miles) has now been erected.
The wall appears to be being built simultaneously in three places – in this image you can see construction in the south-west corner of the cleared area.
BBC
