Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the US administration to pressure Egypt to scale back what he described as a military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula during his meeting in Jerusalem on Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the US news site Axios. Netanyahu presented a list of what he called "serious violations" of the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, including underground facilities believed to be for missile storage and expanded airstrips that could be used by fighter jets. An Egyptian official denied the claims to Axios, stressing that Washington had not raised the issue with Cairo.
In February, Osama Abdel Khalek, Egypt's permanent representative to the United Nations, said that its military doctrine is defensive and that it is capable of deterrence, in response to comments from Israel's envoy to the United Nations who warned of the growing arsenal of the Egyptian army.
In remarks to Egypt's Al-Qahera News channel in February, Abdel Khalek, responded to the comments from his Israeli counterpart, Danny Danon.
"Since he (Danon) gave himself the right to question, the answer is clear, simple, and direct: strong and major countries like Egypt require strong armies capable of defending national security in its comprehensive dimensions with sufficient and diverse armament," Abdel Khalek said. "The Egyptian military doctrine is defensive," he added, stating that Egypt is "capable of deterrence."
Throughout the conflict, Egypt has repeatedly stressed its rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. It also plays a mediating role alongside Qatar and the United States in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, and is the primary supervisor for the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave through the Rafah crossing on its border.
Meanwhile, Israel is facing mounting pressure over its ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Amnesty International said Washington's sixth veto of a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution amounted to a "green light for Israel's campaign of genocide." Twenty-two international humanitarian NGOs also issued a joint statement warning of an "ongoing genocide," citing a UN Commission of Inquiry report released in mid-September that, for the first time, described Israel's actions as genocide under international law. The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate. The Ministry of Health reported 33 deaths and 146 injuries in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since October 7, 2023, to 65,174 and more than 166,000 wounded. It said 442 people, including 147 children, have died from famine and malnutrition, while UNRWA data estimated the cost of displacement from northern Gaza to the south at $3,180 per person amid overcrowded tent areas and loss of income. Palestinian telecoms company Paltel said it restored fixed internet and landline services in northern Gaza despite field risks, after a day-long outage caused by Israeli strikes on key infrastructure. The Israeli army warned Gaza residents of "unprecedented force" in the city, closing Salah al-Din Road and directing civilians to move south via the coastal Rashid Road. Hamas said the targeting of medical facilities and the killing of more than 1,700 health workers, along with the detention of around 400 others, amounted to "a war crime," urging immediate international action. France joined the criticism, with President Emmanuel Macron describing Israel's continued offensive as a "grave mistake" that violates international law and is ineffective. Speaking to Israel's Channel 12, he said the operation had failed to weaken Hamas and instead caused thousands of civilian casualties, damaging Israel's credibility. Macron revealed that Paris is working with Riyadh on a "day after" plan involving a new Palestinian government and international security arrangements. At the same time, the US and Israel sent letters to senior UN officials questioning the neutrality of UN staff over the war, as hundreds of employees staged a protest in Geneva holding banners reading "Peace for Gaza" and laying 370 white roses to honour aid workers killed in the conflict. Militarily, the Israeli army announced the deaths of four officers in southern Gaza, in its first such admission since launching "Gideon's Chariots 2" in early September to seize full control of Gaza City. Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, warned of a "harsh war of attrition" that would inflict more Israeli casualties and captives.
