Israel demands Egypt remove unauthorized military forces from Sinai

Israel has formally approached Egypt and the United States with a request to begin dismantling military infrastructure constructed by the Egyptian army in Sinai, citing violations of the peace agreement between the two nations.

A senior Israeli security official described the Egyptian actions as a "major violation" of the security annex of the 1979 peace treaty during a conversation with journalists, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The official elaborated that the entry of Egyptian military forces into Sinai beyond the agreed-upon quotas in the military annex is of particular concern, although they noted that "such actions are reversible."

According to the official, moving tanks back is not a complicated task. However, the issue remains a priority for Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who has called for special attention to the matter.

Despite these concerns, the Israeli official reassured that Israel remains committed to preserving the peace agreement with Egypt and has no intention of altering its military deployment along the Egyptian border. However, Israel made it clear that it "will not accept the situation" regarding the current military infrastructure in Sinai.

In a separate development, the senior security official revealed that Israel faces an intensifying global threat from Hamas. Specifically, the threat of terrorist activity by Hamas forces in Syria has been highlighted, with Syria's leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani reportedly releasing Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders from Syrian prisons. These leaders, previously detained under Bashar Assad’s regime, have since issued threats against Israel.

In response, Israel has established a security zone extending approximately 11 miles wide and 50 miles long into the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. This zone includes nine major outposts, with the central position located at the Hermon peak. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) will maintain control of this area "until further notice," according to the official, ensuring that Israeli residents are protected and that the security situation "that existed before October 7 will not return."

By Khagan Isayev