Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the United States to pressure Egypt into halting what he described as a “military buildup” in the Sinai Peninsula. According to Israeli media, Netanyahu presented U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio with examples of Egyptian measures he claims constitute “violations of the peace treaty.”
A report by Axios correspondent Barak Ravid, published through the American outlet and Israel’s Channel 12, revealed that Netanyahu urged the Trump administration to act against Egypt’s reinforcements in Sinai. The information was attributed to a senior U.S. official and several Israeli officials.
Mounting Tensions Amid Gaza War
The report stressed that Egyptian military reinforcements in Sinai have become another major point of friction between Cairo and Tel Aviv, particularly as the war on Gaza continues. During his meeting with Rubio in Jerusalem, Netanyahu presented a list of Egyptian activities in Sinai, alleging that they represented “serious violations” of the peace treaty guaranteed by Washington, the principal sponsor of the agreement.
Two senior Israeli officials further claimed that Egypt is constructing military infrastructure—some of it allegedly suitable for offensive purposes—in zones where the treaty only permits small arms.
According to these officials, Egypt has extended air force runways in Sinai for potential use by fighter jets and constructed underground facilities which Israeli intelligence suspects could serve as missile storage sites. Although they admitted there is no evidence of missiles currently being stored, they accused Cairo of failing to provide a “convincing explanation” when questioned through diplomatic and military channels.
Israeli Alarm and Failed Talks
The same sources added that Egypt’s military presence in Sinai now far exceeds the arrangements previously agreed upon during bilateral talks last year. One senior Israeli official explained that Tel Aviv turned to the Trump administration after direct negotiations with Cairo reached a dead end. Another official went so far as to warn: “What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is extremely dangerous, and we are deeply concerned.”
The report added that the situation was compounded by the reduction of aerial monitoring by the U.S.-led Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai, limiting oversight of developments on the ground. An Egyptian official, however, dismissed the Israeli allegations outright, clarifying that Washington had not raised such concerns with Cairo in recent months.
The Sinai Peace Arrangement
The peace treaty between Egypt and the Zionist entity divides the Sinai Peninsula into three zones—A, B, and C—each with specific restrictions on military deployment.
- Zone A, near the Suez Canal and farthest from the border with Israel, permits the presence of a full Egyptian division.
- Zone B allows only Egyptian border guards equipped with light weapons.
- Zone C, adjacent to Gaza and occupied Palestine, is demilitarised, with only lightly armed police permitted.
This arrangement was designed to keep Sinai a “buffer zone” and to prevent large-scale military mobilisation close to the Israeli border.
Strained Cairo–Tel Aviv Relations
Tensions between Egypt and Israel have been escalating since Netanyahu returned to power in late 2022. Notably, Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have not held a public meeting for nearly three years, and no record exists of a phone call between them since June 2023.
