According to the Egyptian president Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi, flooding of the tunnels had been carried out in coordination with the Palestinian Authority.[1] A number of Palestinian factions condemned the flooding of the border with sea water, because it posed a serious threat to environment and ground water.[29] In November 2015, indeed large areas of soil collapsed as a result of the flooding, threatening Gazan homes in Rafah near the Saladin Gate.[30] Salty water flowed out from the ground, contaminating the soil and make it unusable for agriculture.