Israelis to Egypt: We will not tolerate military buildup in Sinai
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A senior Israeli security official labeled Egypt's recent steps a "significant violation" of the Camp David Accords.
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Israeli soldiers take up positions next to the Philadelphi Corridor along the border with Egypt, in the Gaza Strip, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP)
Israel Hayom on Monday revealed that Israeli authorities have objected to Egypt's military activity in the Sinai Peninsula, pressuring both Cairo and Washington over what it claims is a violation of the Camp David Accords. The complaint comes amid reports that Egypt is expanding its security presence near the Gaza border.
According to the report, a senior Israeli security official labeled Egypt's recent steps a "significant violation" of the treaty, specifically objecting to the construction of new military infrastructure in Sinai.
While he acknowledged that Egypt's deployment of additional forces is "reversible" — saying "it's not hard to move tanks backward" — he warned that the establishment of permanent installations posed a more serious challenge. The official noted that resolving the matter is a top priority for Security Minister Israel Katz.
Tel Aviv claimed it has no intention of altering its own military posture along the southern border, yet the official made it clear that "Israel" would "not reconcile with the situation" of Egypt fortifying its side of the frontier.
The growing tensions follow a series of events that have frayed Egypt-Israeli relations. In January, IOF official Col. Shemer Raviv described the Egyptian border as "definitely a front," citing alleged smuggling activities involving drones and weapons. However, critics argue that these claims serve as pretexts for the Israeli regime to further militarize the border and deflect attention from its ongoing onslaught in Gaza.
The friction also echoes the June 2023 operation carried out by Egyptian border guard Mohammad Salah Ibrahim, who crossed into occupied territory and killed three Israeli soldiers before being killed himself.
While Egyptian authorities described him as a "security figure" involved in anti-smuggling efforts, reports revealed that Ibrahim had previously expressed solidarity with Palestine during earlier Israeli aggression on Gaza. His act was widely viewed across the Arab world as a powerful symbol of resistance.
Read more: 'Israel' hands over body of Egyptian martyr Mohammad Salah Ibrahim
Amid regional outrage over "Israel's" war on Gaza, Egypt has come under pressure to act more decisively at its Rafah crossing and along the border.
Earlier today, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reaffirmed Cairo's commitment to de-escalating regional tensions and preventing the spread of conflict, stressing the importance of stability and security for all nations during a phone call on Monday with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian.
