Israel claims Egyptian ‘violations’ of peace treaty

Israel claimed on Wednesday to have detected what it called “Egyptian violations” of the 1979 peace treaty. The occupation state’s public broadcaster KAN termed the alleged violations as “non-serious”, citing a high-level official.

“We do not see any intention from the Egyptian side to undermine the peace agreement,” said the official. He noted that Israel has requested Egypt to adhere to the terms of the peace treaty. “Nonetheless, these violations cannot be considered significant.”

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, ending the state of war between the two countries.

The key provisions of the treaty included the cessation of hostilities, normalisation of relations, Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula and the creation of a demilitarised zone along the border.

KAN did not specify the nature of the alleged violations, but Israeli social media users shared videos purportedly showing Egyptian tanks in the Sinai Peninsula, although their authenticity could not be verified. The treaty only allows Egypt to have a very limited military presence in Sinai.

There was no immediate comment from Egyptian authorities on the Israeli report, said Anadolu.

Egyptian Defence Minister Abdel Majeed Saqr called on 11 February for the army “to maintain the highest levels of combat readiness so that the armed forces remain capable of fulfilling their duties and responsibilities under all circumstances,” according to a statement from the Egyptian military.

Egypt borders the Gaza Strip, where a brutal Israeli war has killed nearly 48,300 people since October 2023, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins. A ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement came into effect on 19 January.

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