Egypt Reaffirms Commitment to Israeli Peace Accord Amid Gaza Tensions

By Yoni Weiss

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry restated Egypt’s unwavering commitment to its over four-decade-old peace agreement with Israel on Monday. This comes in response to recent reports hinting at strains in the Israeli-Egyptian relationship due to Israel’s ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Shoukry addressed questions from the media during his visit to Slovenia, dismissing concerns about a potential suspension of the peace treaty. Unnamed Egyptian officials, cited by the Associated Press, had suggested that the agreement might be jeopardized if the IDF were to invade Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, which shares a border with Egypt.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has highlighted Rafah as Hamas’ last stronghold, advocating for the deployment of ground troops to defeat the terrorist group. Shoukry’s comments reflect a departure from Cairo’s consistent stance, particularly regarding Israel’s operations along the Philadelphi Corridor, where Egypt opposes any Israeli military presence, citing it as a violation of bilateral agreements.

Egypt’s major concern reportedly revolves around the potential influx of Palestinians into the Sinai Desert to escape the conflict. Recent reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate Egypt reinforcing its border defenses with Gaza, utilizing measures such as cameras, observation posts, and sensors to prevent mass crossings.

Contrary to Israel’s assertion about the necessity of operations along the Philadelphi Corridor, Egypt has strongly opposed such military presence, emphasizing its view that it violates established agreements. Recent disclosures of operational tunnels beneath the border, as notified by Israel to Cairo, have further heightened tensions in the region.

Egypt has played a key role in facilitating discussions for a potential agreement involving the exchange of hostages for a comprehensive ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.