Why Egypt won't allow vulnerable Palestinians across its border

This Feb. 18 satellite photo shows displaced Palestinians crammed into southern Gaza on the right. Israel is threatening to attack the border town of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are now living. On the left is the vast, empty expanse of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. Egypt says it won't allow Palestinians into Egypt because it fears they might not be allowed back into Gaza. (Planet Labs PBC)

The satellite photo above captures the stark nature of the crisis on the Gaza-Egypt border.

On the right, more than 1 million displaced Palestinians are squeezed into tent camps on the Gaza side of the border, seeking shelter from Israel's ongoing offensive. On the left is Egypt's vast, thinly populated Sinai Peninsula, where the tightly controlled frontier has a heavy security presence.