Egypt says forces in Sinai securing border amid Israel tensions

Egypt has said its forces stationed in Sinai, bordering the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and Israel, aim to secure its frontiers against "all dangers," as Egyptian-Israeli ties are experiencing their worst tensions in decades.

Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

However, Cairo is increasingly concerned that an expansion of the Israeli offensive in Gaza could trigger a mass exodus into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Egypt's State Information Service (SIS), the official media organization, said late Saturday that the Egyptian forces in Sinai are stationed to secure the Egyptian borders against "all dangers, including terrorist operations and smuggling, within the framework of prior coordination with the parties to the peace treaty."

The organization added in a statement that Egypt wants to maintain the US-brokered peace treaty with Israel.

The SIS statement followed media reports of an alleged military build-up in Sinai.

The US news website Axios reported Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked the administration of US President Donald Trump to press Egypt to scale down the alleged military build-up.

Axios quoted Israeli officials as saying the Egyptians have been building military infrastructure — some of which could be used for attacks — in areas where only light weapons are allowed under the treaty.

Relations between Egypt and Israel have deteriorated since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.

Earlier this week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi described Israel as an "enemy" for the first time since the two countries signed the peace treaty.

Egypt has repeatedly warned that a forced displacement of people from Gaza into its territory is a "red line" and a threat to its national security.