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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the United States to pressure Egypt over what Israel alleges is a military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, amid escalating tensions between the two countries over the fate of Palestinians in Gaza.
Citing U.S. and Israeli officials, Axios reported that relations between Israel — which has pushed for what it calls the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from Gaza — and Egypt, which has strongly opposed any forced displacement, have soured over the alleged expansion of Egyptian military infrastructure in Sinai.
Two Israeli officials told Axios that Egypt has expanded runways in Sinai for military use and built underground facilities believed to store missiles. “What the Egyptians are doing in Sinai is very serious and we are very concerned,” one of the officials said, adding that Netanyahu sought U.S. intervention after direct talks with Cairo failed.
An Egyptian official denied the allegations, Axios reported.
Netanyahu also raised the issue with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during Rubio’s visit to Israel earlier this week, claiming Cairo’s actions violated the 1979 Camp David Accords and presenting a list of alleged breaches.
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has openly criticized Egypt’s refusal to allow Palestinians from Gaza to cross into Sinai. Speaking on the social media channel “Abu Ali Express,” Netanyahu said: “Leaving Gaza is the basic right of every Palestinian. I can open the Rafah Crossing for their exit, but it will be immediately closed by Egypt.”
Cairo responded sharply. In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it would not participate in “the liquidation of the Palestinian cause” or serve as “a gateway for displacement.” It urged an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Ziya Rashwan, head of Egypt’s State Information Service, accused Netanyahu of seeking to use Rafah to facilitate the “re-deportation” of Palestinians into the diaspora. “You must keep your word; Palestinians have the right to freely choose their directions,” Rashwan said. “You deciding their only exit direction is forced migration, and Egypt will not participate in that.”
Meanwhile, Israel has proposed a new security arrangement to Syria, aimed at replacing the 1974 disengagement accord that lost relevance after the collapse of the Assad regime and Israel’s control of the former buffer zone, according to another Axios report.
The proposal mirrors the 1979 peace agreement with Egypt, which divided Sinai into three zones with different levels of demilitarization. Israel’s plan suggests dividing the area southwest of Damascus into similar zones, extending the buffer zone by two kilometers on the Syrian side, banning heavy weapons near the Israeli border, and imposing a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft.
In exchange, Israel would gradually withdraw from some recently occupied Syrian territories but would retain a strategic outpost on Mount Hermon. The plan also includes preserving an aerial corridor through Syria to Iran, enabling potential future Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, according to the report.
Syria has not yet responded but is reportedly preparing a counterproposal. Israel, Syria, and the U.S. are scheduled to hold a third round of talks in London on Wednesday, with progress reported but no final agreement reached.
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