At the end of the 18th century, there was a bi-directional movement between
Egypt and Palestine. Between 1829 and 1841, thousands of Egyptians arrived to Palestine as fugitives fleeing conscription or as forced laborers. Muhammad Ali
invaded Palestine in October 1831 to ostensibly repatriate Egyptian fugitives who had fled conscription.
[79][80][81] Muhammad Ali brought in Egyptian forced labourers, mostly from the
Nile Delta, to settle in
sakināt (settlements) along the coast. This set off bad blood with the indigeneous
fellahin (peasants), who resented Muhammad Ali's plans and interference, prompting the
Peasants' revolt in Palestine in 1834.
[79][82][83] After the Egyptian defeat and retreat in 1841, many laborers and deserters stayed in Palestine.
[80] Most of these settled and were quickly assimilated in the cities of
Jaffa and
Gaza, the
Coastal plains and
Wadi Ara.
[80] Estimates of Egyptian migrants during this period generally place them at 15,000–30,000.
[80] At the time, the sedentary population of Palestine fluctuated around 300,000–350,000.
[80]
So the egyptian migrants were 5-10% of the total Palestine population, just a drop in the bucket.