Egypt isn't welcoming the Palestinian refugees fleeing from the fighting in northern Gaza because it doesn't want terrorists to infiltrate the country, Fred Fleitz, vice chair for the America First Policy Institute, said Wednesday on Newsmax.
"Egypt is reluctant to let in refugees that would destabilize [it] so they're trying to find a way for humanitarian reasons to let a certain number of refugees, a certain number of foreign nationals in," Fleitz said on Newsmax's "National Report."
Fleitz said Hamas, the Palestinian terrorists who attacked Israel, was aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood, which the current government of Egypt, under President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, overthrew.
"In terms of these refugees moving into Egypt, possibly permanently, the Egyptian government is not interested in that," Fleitz said.
Fleitz's comments came after the first group of injured people from Gaza crossed into Egypt after a deal between Egypt, Israel, and Hamas and mediated by Qatar that allows some foreigners and critically wounded evacuees to leave Gaza.
Their evacuation followed an Israeli strike Tuesday that killed about 50 people in a refugee camp.
Fleitz also discussed Israel's ground offensive against Hamas, pointing out that the military is moving slowly because it knows the militants were prepared for a massive ground invasion after the attacks on Oct. 7.
Fleitz said there are already tank traps, booby traps, snipers, and "then there's all these underground tunnels."
But Israel has known about the tunnels for a long time "and they've been preparing technology to take them on," said Fleitz. "They're using bunker bombs. They're looking for the electricity sources that run the air pumps. They're looking for large, diesel-generated power sources and the fuel which is necessary to light these tunnels and run the electronics in them."
The tunnels, he added, "are a real security problem, but I'll tell you that Israel has been addressing this problem for quite some time."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.