The truth about Egypt’s entanglement in supporting Israel

The MV Kathrin incident has heavy political and strategic implications for the Egyptian regime, which is accused of allowing a German-owned ship transporting military arms to the Israeli army to dock at its ports at a time when Israel continues its war against the Gaza Strip for the second consecutive year. Cairo is facing a major predicament and embarrassment after the ship’s path was tracked by human rights and international organisations, who have evidence that its cargo of explosive materials, used to manufacture highly explosive bombs, was offloaded at the Port of Alexandria in the north of the country.

This remarkable development comes at a sensitive time, as military escalation in the Gaza Strip increases and the Israeli bombing of Lebanon continues. Meanwhile, Egypt appears to have played the role of a mediator in reaching a ceasefire agreement.

Conflicting official statements

The controversy was complicated by the conflicting official statements issued by Egyptian authorities, hinting at an implicit condemnation of Cairo. These contradictory statements have been met with the credibility of what Amnesty International and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement announced regarding tracking the ship’s path, which several countries refused to receive. Egypt allowed the ship to enter dock No. 22 at the Port of Alexandria on 28 October, which is under the management of the Egyptian Navy, according to the Saheeh Masr independent fact-checking website.

Last month, Natasa Posel, head of Amnesty International Slovenia, warned: “The deadly cargo, believed to be on board the MV Katherin, must not reach Israel, as there is a clear risk that it will contribute to committing war crimes against Palestinian civilians.”

According to Reuters, the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) confirmed that the shipment was headed to the Israeli Military Industries Company, a unit of Elbit Systems, which is the largest supplier of defence materials in Israel.

Marine Traffic, a website specialising in tracking ships, showed MV Katherin, registration number 9570620, docking at the Port of Alexandria carrying military goods (a total of 150 tonnes of explosives) before another ship was spotted setting off on the same day to the Israeli Port of Ashdod, according to a statement by the BDS movement.

The conflict of official statements was just a highlight of what was happening. At first, the Egyptian Ministry of Transport announced that MV Kathrin, Portuguese but flying the German flag, was allowed to dock at Alexandria Port to unload a shipment for the Ministry of Military Production.

Later, the Egyptian Army spokesperson rushed to deny it, stating: “The Egyptian Armed Forces categorically deny what has been circulated on social media and suspicious accounts and what is being promoted about assisting Israel in its military operations in general and in detail.”

Before Cairo could get its cards together, the controversy flared up again, with footage circulating showing an Israeli frigate crossing the Suez Canal, bearing both the Israeli and Egyptian flags.

With the escalation of criticism, the Suez Canal Authority confirmed: “Commitment to adhering to international agreements that guarantee freedom of maritime navigation for ships crossing the canal, whether commercial or military ships, without discrimination based on the ship’s nationality. It is doing so in line with the provisions of the Constantinople Convention, which constitutes a basic guarantee for preserving the canal’s status as the most important sea passage in the world.”

The Constantinople Convention, signed in 1888, stipulates in its first article: “The Suez Canal must be open to all ships, whether in time of war or peace, whether they are carrying commerce or military, regardless of their flag.”

Egyptian involvement

Opponents say that the possibility of Egyptian involvement in supporting the Israeli army has turned into a fact supported by strong evidence, confirming that Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s regime stands with Tel Aviv in its war against Gaza and Lebanon. It even shows that Egypt is participating in tightening the siege on the Palestinians after closing the Rafah Border Crossing and preventing the passage of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Strip.

They base their opinion on the fact that Egypt, which is using the Constantinople Agreement as a pretext, overlooked violations of the Camp David Peace Treaty and its security annexes when Israeli forces occupied the Salah Al-Din (Philadelphi) axis on the border with Egypt.

The provisions of the Constantinople Agreement grant Egypt the right to prevent the passage of ships belonging to a country in a state of direct war with it or threatening Egyptian national security. These provisions allow the Egyptian side to intervene to stop the Israeli frigate from passing through.

Well-known political activist Ahmed Douma posted on X that the authority is a partner in the genocide, not just a complicit or a traitor, but a direct partner. This led to his arrest for investigations on charges of spreading false news in case No. 5892 of 2024, Supreme State Security, before he was released on bail for 20,000 EGP (about $400).

Political positions followed one after the other. The Egyptian Conservative Party denounced in a statement: “Taking refuge in the articles of outdated international agreements at a time Israel is waging a war of genocide against our brothers in Gaza.”

Egyptian lawyers filed a report to the Attorney General against the Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly, and others, demanding an investigation into the incident of the MV Katherin ship docking at the Port of Alexandria and investigating those responsible for allowing the ship to pass through territorial waters and dock in an Egyptian port.

According to Egyptian political expert Mohamed El-Sayed, allowing MV Kathrin to dock and letting Israeli Sa’ar 5 warship pass through will have heavy political repercussions, dissipating what remains of Egypt’s prestige in the Arab and Islamic worlds. It also affects Egypt’s integrity as a mediator in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations and strengthens the accusations of treason directed at Al-Sisi’s regime

Egyptian activists gathered outside the Journalists’ Syndicate headquarters in downtown Cairo to protest the incidents two days ago, chanting: “Egypt is sad. Egypt is sad, a ship has passed, if our brothers’ blood is cheap, then down with any president,” referring to the Egyptian president.

Disturbing questions

Logical questions have been raised regarding the incident. If the shipment was intended for the Egyptian Ministry of Military Production, why didn’t the ship head directly to one of the Egyptian ports without passing through other international ports? What was the fate of the explosives shipment after it was unloaded at the Port of Alexandria? What was the nature of the cargo carried by the second ship heading to the Israeli Port of Ashdod?

The authorities’ disregard for the reports filed to investigate the incident, the continued blackout in the Egyptian media regarding the fate of the explosives’ shipment, the absence of the ship’s data from the official website of the Port of Alexandria and the deliberate secrecy regarding the ship’s journey and its true destination all add to the ambiguity of the situation. These details cast a lot of doubts about the true official Egyptian position on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon and the extent to which the Egyptian vision aligns with the Israeli approach to eliminate the resistance there.

Earlier, navigation data by Al Jazeera showed that the Egyptian-flagged container ship PAN GG made 25 trips loaded with goods to the Port of Ashdod from Egyptian ports during the period from mid-February 2023 until 8 February, 2024, at a time when the Gaza Strip is facing a severe blockade by the Israeli occupation.

According to political researcher Hamdi Al-Masry, the official responses from the armed forces and the Ministry of Transport did not resolve the ambiguity regarding the vessel MV Katherin. They also were unable to withstand the counterpropaganda that uses any issue to expose and shame the July 2013 regime, which participated in the US and Israeli plans to blockade the Gaza Strip and demolish the tunnels. These measures showed Cairo as a supporter of Tel Aviv despite its rejection of the displacement of Palestinians.

Egyptian authorities prevent the organisation of protests in support of Gaza and Lebanon. They also impose strict restrictions on collecting donations to support the Palestinians. Authorities in Egypt have previously arrested dozens of those who showed solidarity with Palestine on fabricated charges such as involvement in terrorism, spreading false news or demonstrating without a permit, according to human rights organisations. These details may suggest the ruling circles in Egypt stand with Israel.

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