According to a report by Anadolu Agency on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly urged the Trump administration to pressure Egypt into reducing its military presence in the Sinai Peninsula, according to a Saturday report by US-based outlet Axios.
The report, citing one US official and two Israeli officials, said Netanyahu presented US Secretary of State Marco Rubio with a list of Egyptian military activities in Sinai during their meeting Monday in Jerusalem. Netanyahu argued that the moves represent substantial violations of the 1979 Camp David peace treaty, under which the United States serves as guarantor.
“Israeli officials say the Egyptian military build-up in Sinai has become another significant point of tension between the countries as the war in Gaza continues,” Axios reported.
The 1979 Camp David Accords, signed by then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and then-Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, divided the Sinai Peninsula into military zones with specific restrictions on troop numbers and weaponry for both countries. The treaty is widely considered a cornerstone of regional stability.
According to Israeli officials cited by Axios, Egypt has recently expanded military infrastructure in restricted areas, including lengthening runways at air bases to accommodate fighter jets and constructing underground facilities that Israeli intelligence suspects could store missiles. While the officials admitted there is no evidence that missiles are being kept there, they claimed Egypt has not provided a satisfactory explanation despite repeated inquiries through diplomatic and military channels.
One official told Axios that Israel’s appeal to Washington came after direct negotiations with Cairo failed to yield progress. Another warned that “what the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned.”
The report further noted that monitoring by the US-led Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), which was established to oversee treaty compliance, has declined. Reduced aerial patrols, according to Israeli officials, have made it harder to track Egyptian activities in Sinai.
An Egyptian official dismissed the Israeli allegations, telling Axios that the Trump administration “hasn’t raised the issue with Egypt recently.” Cairo has consistently maintained that its deployment in Sinai is focused on securing national borders, combating terrorism, and preventing arms smuggling — particularly amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Egypt has repeatedly warned Israel against any attempt to push Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula, saying such a move would be a red line and a direct threat to Egyptian national security.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 65,200 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, the majority of them women and children. The offensive has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and blocked vital humanitarian aid. At least 442 Palestinians, including 147 children, have died due to shortages of food, medicine, and other basic supplies caused by the blockade. See, More, Here>>>>
