Netanyahu calls on US to curb Egypt’s Sinai military buildup

Per the peace agreement, the Sinai was divided into three areas to maintain a buffer zone and prevent large-scale military buildup near the border with Israel.

By JNS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested that the Trump administration pressure Egypt to halt its military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, warning that it constitutes a violation of the 1979 U.S.-brokered Camp David Accords between Jerusalem and Cairo.

“In their meeting in Jerusalem on Monday, Netanyahu presented to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio a series of Egyptian activities in Sinai that, according to him, constitute significant violations by Egypt of the peace agreement with Israel—a treaty for which the U.S. has stood guarantor and served as its primary sponsor,” Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reported in a Channel 12 article published online on Saturday.

Israeli officials told Ravid that the military buildup in the Sinai has become another point of tension as Israel’s war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza approaches its second year.

Two senior Israeli officials said that the Egyptians are establishing military infrastructure in the Sinai, some of which could also be used for offensive purposes.

According to the long-standing peace deal, only light weaponry is permitted in these areas.

Israeli officials also said that Cairo has extended runways at air force bases in the Sinai so they can be used by fighter jets and has built underground facilities that, according to Israeli intelligence, could be used to store missiles.

While the officials noted there is no evidence that Egypt is actually storing missiles, “they claim that when Israel approached them through diplomatic and military channels and requested clarification, the Egyptians did not provide a satisfactory explanation regarding their use of these facilities.”

Additionally, the Egyptian army’s force structure is significantly larger than what Jerusalem agreed to in talks last year.

A senior official told Ravid that Jerusalem approached Washington after direct talks with Cairo on the issue failed to yield progress.

“What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned,” another Israeli official said, adding that the situation has worsened since the U.S.-led multinational observer force dramatically reduced its monitoring flights over the territory.

An Egyptian official denied the Israeli claim and said that the Trump administration has not raised the issue with them. Ravid also cited an American official in his reporting.

Per the peace agreement, the Sinai was divided into three areas to maintain a buffer zone and prevent large-scale military buildup near the border with Israel.

Area A, closest to the Suez Canal and furthest from the Israeli border, allows for the deployment of a full Egyptian division.

Area B allows the presence of Egyptian border guards with light weapons only.

Area C, adjacent to Israel and Gaza, is a demilitarized zone where only police officers armed with light weapons are permitted.

Tensions between Israel and Egypt have steadily escalated since Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022, with little direct communication between him and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Cairo fears that Israel intends to push Gaza’s population into Sinai, a move it considers a threat to Egyptian national security.

Egypt has reinforced its forces along the Gaza border, warned against undermining the peace treaty and condemned Israel’s recent military actions.

In turn, Netanyahu has criticized Egypt for refusing to take in Gazans.

The crisis deepened after Israel’s Sept. 9 strike on Qatar, when Sisi publicly cautioned that Netanyahu was endangering the Egypt-Israel peace agreement and warned against further regional destabilization.

Egyptian hints at building a joint Arab military force have further heightened Israeli concerns.