Egypt is building a mysterious 16-foot-high wall near the border with Gaza and it won't say why

• Egypt has begun construction of a wall near its border with Gaza, according to reports.
• Its purpose remains unclear, leading to speculation it could be used to hold those crossing the border.
• This comes amid increased border security in anticipation of Israeli attacks.

Egypt is building a wall near Gaza's border, but the government has refused to say what it will be used for, CNN and The New York Times reported.

Images of a large section of land being bulldozed and a wall being built between the Egypt and Rafah buffer zone are visible in newly-released satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies.

Construction began at the beginning of February, according to CNN and The Times' respective analyses of the images.

It's unclear when it is due to be completed, or its purpose.

One possibility, The Times reports, is that the wall could be used to hold Palestinians crossing the border. However, if this scenario were true, it would be a significant shift in the Egyptian government's previous refusal to accept Palestinian refugees.

A spokesperson for the Egyptian government declined to provide details on the construction when contacted by The Times, but instead referred to previous statements issued by the government, which highlighted the fortification of the border, the publication said.

Egyptian security officials told CNN on Friday that the country's border security has increased as a precaution ahead of an expected Israeli attack in Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians are seeking shelter.

Representatives for the Egyptian government did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

An unnamed contractor and engineer who said they were working on the construction told The Times that the Egyptian army had ordered it. They said the wall is set to be five meters high, about 16 feet, and will close off a five-square-kilometer plot of land.

The project began on February 5, and construction of the wall on Tuesday, they said. The source provided the information anonymously due to fear of reprisals, according to The Times.

A spokesperson for the Sinai Foundation for Human Rights told CNN that two local contractors had confirmed to them that the project was commissioned by the Egyptian army.

The organization, which focuses on marginalized areas in Egypt, did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.

This comes after sources who spoke anonymously to Reuters said a desert area on the border "with some basic facilities" for Palestinians is being set up as a contingency plan.

However, the head of Egypt's State Information Service told the publication that this was not the case.