Israel is turning to Washington for backup, urging the US to intervene as it clashes with Egypt over a military buildup in the Sinai desert. The request comes at a tense moment, not least because Israel itself has breached the 1979 peace accords by moving forces into the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border following its invasion of Rafah.
According to Axios, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu handed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio a list of Egyptian activities he claims are cause for concern. These include extended runways at airbases in Sinai and the construction of underground bunkers. Israeli officials say they pressed Cairo for explanations through diplomatic and military channels but were left unsatisfied.
“What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned,” one Israeli source warned.
But Egypt has pushed back. Citing reports from Haaretz, Egyptian officials insist they have no offensive intent and view peace with Israel as a cornerstone of their security strategy. Instead, they say their focus is on preventing the mass displacement of Palestinians into Egyptian territory, something Cairo has repeatedly declared a red line.
Behind the scenes, Egyptian and diplomatic sources suspect Netanyahu of having other motives. They argue Israel’s prime minister is eyeing the forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza into Sinai, a plan Egypt has flatly rejected.
The tension has escalated since Israel launched a fresh offensive on Gaza City, which the Israeli military admits has displaced around 500,000 Palestinians. Some of Netanyahu’s ministers have openly pushed for Palestinians to be relocated to Egypt or Jordan. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has touted “voluntary migration,” while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Gaza’s annexation.
Israeli media has previously claimed that Netanyahu himself floated the idea of opening the Rafah crossing to drive Palestinians into Sinai. That, combined with Israel’s recent strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, has fuelled regional anger, drawing sharp criticism from Egypt and other neighbouring states.
For now, Israel is accusing Egypt of violating the 1979 peace agreement by allegedly deploying 40,000 troops to Sinai. Yet critics point out that Israel’s own occupation of the Philadelphi Corridor also breaches the very same accords.
