Is Egypt preparing for war in the Sinai Desert?

Large presence of Egyptian troops, military activity in the Sinai constitute violation of peace agreement with Israel, says security source.

By World Israel News Staff

The Egyptian military has bolstered its presence in the Sinai Desert bordering Israel in recent months, leading some experts to question if the mass buildup marks a violation of Cairo’s peace treaty with the Jewish State.

According to the terms of the peace agreement, signed in 1979, Egypt’s military deployment in the Sinai is restricted to a specific number of troops.

But according to a security source, quoted by The Jerusalem Post newspaper, Egypt’s recent actions in the region go beyond its allotted quota and may constitute a violation of the peace treaty.

“Egypt has deployed forces beyond the permitted [amount], expanded port facilities, and extended runways at airports,” the source told the Post, adding that these moves are outside the bounds of the agreement.

The official was quick to add that Egypt could comply with the agreement once again, by simply reducing its troop presence in the Sinai.

However, “Israel will not accept the situation and will not tolerate violations from Cairo,” the official warned the Post.

The official told the Post that Israel is holding discussions with both Cairo and Washington on the matter. “Washington is responsible for upholding the peace agreement and must ensure it is implemented as written,” the official said.

So far, Israel has refrained from commenting publicly on Egypt’s actions in the Sinai, though the Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter wrote a letter to the Trump administration expressing concern over the issue.

Leiter referred to the expanded Egyptian military presence in the region as “intolerable” in a February 2025 letter. “For a long time, this issue was pushed aside, but it is continuing,” Leiter wrote. “This will be a topic we are going to put on the table – very soon and very firmly.”