Israel’s Outgoing Military Chief Warns of Potential Threat From Egypt Amid Rising Tensions

Israel’s outgoing military chief has warned that Egypt’s expanding military capabilities could pose an unexpected threat to Israel in the future, despite their decades-old peace treaty.

Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, who next week will step down as chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), told officer graduates during a speech in the Israeli city of Holon that Cairo is not currently a direct threat to Jerusalem. However, he warned that Egypt’s growing military capabilities, including advanced jets, submarines, and missiles, could change that reality at any moment.

“We are very concerned about this,” he said, referring to Egypt’s military buildup, before adding, “This is not at the top of our priorities. We have to give priority to our problems.”

Halevi’s remarks were aired on Wednesday by Israel’s Channel 14. They came after the military chief announced his resignation last month, citing his “responsibility for the IDF’s failure” during the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. His resignation will take effect on March 6.

“Egypt has a large army. It has advanced weapons, advanced aircraft, advanced submarines, and missile ships,” Halevi said during his speech this week. “We believe that this is not a threat now, but this situation can change in a moment.”

He also referred to Egypt’s first democratically elected president, an Islamist, saying, “In 2011, [Mohamed] Morsi took power with the Muslim Brotherhood.”

“Suddenly,” the Israeli military chief added, “this entire army had another leadership, which could have turned against you.”

Halevi’s latest remarks, which came amid rising tensions between Jerusalem and Cairo, did not mark the first time that a senior Israeli official had expressed concern over Egypt’s expanding defense capabilities.

Last month, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter accused Egypt of a “very serious violation” of its peace treaty with Israel, raising concerns over Cairo’s military buildup and armed presence in the Sinai Peninsula.

“There are bases being built, and they can only be used for offensive operations and offensive weapons. This is a clear violation [of the peace agreement],” Leiter said during a meeting with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.

While details about Egypt’s military buildup remain unclear, “satellite images have shown the movement of tanks and battalions that exceed the limits set by the Camp David Accords,” Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told The Algemeiner.

Under the 1979 peace treaty, Cairo can request permission from Jerusalem to deploy more than the 47 battalions allowed. One estimate, however, suggests that there are currently camps for 180 battalions.

“The Camp David Accords have long been a pillar of peace and stability in the Middle East,” Wahba explained. “A breakdown of the agreement would have serious implications, not just for Israel and Egypt but for the broader region. It could embolden actors like Iran and its proxies to exploit tensions and could lead to increased militarization along Israel’s southern border.”

Last month, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also raised concerns about Egypt’s military buildup, questioning the need for so many submarines and tanks.

“They spend hundreds of millions of dollars on modern military equipment every year, yet they have no threats on their borders,” he said. “After Oct. 7, this should raise alarm bells.”

“We have learned our lesson,” Danon added, apparently referring to Hamas’s Oct. 7 surprise invasion of southern Israel from neighboring Gaza. “We must monitor Egypt closely and prepare for every scenario.”

Addressing such concerns, Egyptian Ambassador to the UN Osama Abdel Khalek defended the country’s military strategy, emphasizing that its strong army is essential for national security and is purely defensive, aimed at maintaining regional stability.

Despite reports of growing tensions, Israeli defense sources have reportedly affirmed that security coordination between Cairo and Jerusalem remains tight, noting that such coordination has been in the interest of both countries for decades to protect their own national security and promote regional stability.

However, Egypt’s growing military presence in Sinai and ongoing infrastructure projects have raised concerns in Israel, particularly over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, tensions between Jerusalem and Cairo have escalated as Egypt continues to demand an Israeli withdrawal from the area.

Egypt’s military buildup, reportedly in part in protest of Israel’s presence at the Philadelphi Corridor and to prevent a mass Palestinian exodus into the country, along with Jerusalem’s control of the corridor, could both violate the 1979 peace treaty.

Cairo has also rejected US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip to rebuild the war-torn enclave, while relocating Palestinians elsewhere during reconstruction efforts.

Like many other Middle Eastern leaders who rejected Trump’s proposal, Egypt has advocated a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier this week, Egypt rejected any responsibility for governing Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war, reiterating its opposition to a new proposal by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, who suggested Cairo take over administrative and reconstruction efforts in the neighboring Palestinian enclave in exchange for the cancellation of its $155 billion external debt.

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