Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to influence Egypt to reduce its military build-up in the Sinai Peninsula, Axios reported on Saturday citing U.S. and Israeli sources.
The tensions between Cairo and Jerusalem have arisen significantly during the war in Gaza, sparked by the October 7 massacre.
Officials say Egypt reinforces army on Gaza border
Netanyahu, the report claims, presented Rubio with a list of Egyptian activities in Sinai that represented substantial violations of the terms of the 1979 peace treaty, for which the U.S. serves as guarantor.
What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned,” an Israeli official is quoted as saying in the report.
The report is consistent with Israeli concerns as relayed to i24NEWS by Israeli officials earlier this year.
Israeli official warns Egypt militarization of Sinai violates peace
“Egypt has deployed military forces beyond the permitted quota, expanded docks in ports, and extended runways at airports—all in violation of the agreement,” an Israeli official told i24NEWS in May. While Israel seeks to maintain the peace treaty and will not alter its deployment along the border, it “will not tolerate the situation.”
The official noted that military activity in Sinai is restricted under the peace treaty, and Egypt’s violations are highly problematic.
“We will not accept these breaches,” he said. “We are in discussions with Cairo and the Americans. The US administration is responsible for upholding the peace treaty, and it is imperative to rectify these violations and ensure the agreement is fully adhered to. I have raised these violations with the Americans—we will not tolerate this.”