The growing dispute has revived questions about the durability of the Israel‑Egypt peace.
By Hezy Laing
Egypt recently breached the Peace Agreement set in the 1979 Camp David Accords by sending a large numbers of forces into the demilitarized zone between the two countries.
The move has triggered alarm in Jerusalem, where officials warn that Cairo’s expanding troop presence and new military infrastructure in the Sinai Peninsula constitute the most serious breach of the peace agreement in decades.
Israeli concerns intensified after senior security officials confirmed that Egypt has deployed forces and constructed facilities in areas where the treaty strictly limits military activity.
The Camp David Accords, signed by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1979, divide Sinai into zones with precise restrictions on troop numbers, armored vehicles, and fortifications.
Egypt has violated these terms by building permanent military infrastructure—including bases, obstacles, and logistical hubs—in central and northern Sinai, far beyond what the treaty allows.
A senior Israeli security official described the activity as a “major violation” of the security annex and warned that the new infrastructure is “much less reversible” than temporary troop surges.
Jerusalem’s alarm grew after satellite images and social‑media footage appeared to show Egyptian armored units, engineering corps, and even military exercises simulating an advance toward Israel’s southern border.
Israeli officials have confronted Cairo directly and have also appealed to Washington, which is a guarantor of the treaty, requesting that Egypt dismantle the new installations.
Egypt claimed that the additional forces were “temporary” deployments required for security operations, saying the expanded presence was “necessary for counterterrorism” and claimed it was “coordinated with the IDF,” though Israel denies this.
According to reporting, Egypt has responded by proposing U.S. mediation to ease tensions, while insisting that its actions are defensive and aimed at combating ISIS‑Sinai and securing the Rafah border crossing during the Gaza conflict.
Egyptian officials argue that the volatile security situation justifies a stronger military posture in Sinai.
They claim that the rise of jihadist groups, weapons smuggling, and instability along the Gaza border require expanded deployments.
However, Israeli analysts note that Egypt has repeatedly used counterterrorism as a justification for moves that appear to exceed treaty limits, and some warn that Cairo’s long‑standing hostility toward Israel—rooted in military doctrine, state media narratives, and political rhetoric—has never fully disappeared.
The growing dispute has revived questions about the durability of the Israel‑Egypt peace, long considered a cornerstone of regional stability.
With Egypt expanding its military footprint and Israel demanding a rollback, the Sinai—once the symbol of reconciliation—has again become a focal point of strategic tension.
