Israel
Israel concerned about Egypt’s ‘very serious’ military build-up in Sinai
Netanyahu has asked the US to push Egypt to step back
September 25, 2025 15:01
Netanyahu has asked the US to push Egypt to step back
September 25, 2025 15:01Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to help curb Egypt's growing military presence in the Sinai Peninsula.
US news outlet Axios reported that during a meeting between the pair in Jerusalem last week, Netanyahu listed ongoing activities in Sinai which he said violated the Camp David Accords - the 1979 peace agreement with Israel.
The US is the guarantor for the 45-year-old agreement which imposed limits on Egypt’s positioning of troops and weaponry in the region.
According to Axios, Israeli officials cited "runways at air bases in Sinai that they could be used by fighter jets and underground facilities which Israeli intelligence believes could be used for storing missiles".
The officials are reported to have said it "could be used for offensive purposes".
"The Egyptian military build-up in Sinai has become another significant point of tension between the countries as the war in Gaza continues...
"What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned," they added.
Egypt has said that its military activities in the Sinai Peninsula are purely for defence purposes and do not contradict the Camp David Accords.
"The forces present in Sinai primarily aim to secure the Egyptian borders against all risks, including terrorism and smuggling, and this is carried out within prior coordination with the parties to the peace treaty," Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) said.
Rubio has so far not made any public comments on Netanyahu's request.
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