Netanyahu issues rare warning over Egypt’s military build-up

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a rare warning about the strengthening of Egypt’s military, calling for close monitoring despite ongoing cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking in a classified session of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Netanyahu confirmed that the Egyptian armed forces are undergoing significant modernisation, Caliber.Az reports via Israeli media.

“We have shared interests and a relationship with Egypt, but we must maintain close oversight to prevent an excessive build-up,” he said.

Concerns about Egypt’s military expansion have been raised previously. In March last year, Yaron Buskila, director of the Security Advocates Movement, warned that Egypt had been acquiring advanced weaponry, upgrading military infrastructure, improving troop training, and expanding exercises. According to Buskila, while the programme partly targets Islamist militant groups in the Sinai Peninsula, it also reflects Cairo’s broader ambition to assert itself as a regional power.

Israeli defence officials have expressed unease over the scale of Egypt’s build-up, particularly given the absence of immediate external threats.

In September, retired Colonel Dr Moshe Elad, a Middle East specialist and terrorism researcher, noted the significant military presence in the Sinai, including troop deployments, defence systems, and logistical preparations.

“Even if presented as purely defensive, the scale and timing of these measures cannot be ignored,” he said, adding that Egypt is simultaneously leading Arab initiatives on Gaza, often rejecting solutions advanced by Israel and international actors.

Despite the build-up, experts maintain that the likelihood of direct conflict between Israel and Egypt remains low. However, diplomatic, political, civilian, and economic tensions could increase, and any decision regarding Israel’s southern border must carefully consider Cairo’s position.

Military commentator Tzvika Yehezkel highlighted a broader trend of temporary alignments among regional powers. He cited meetings between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, describing them as driven by short-term interests rather than deep alliances.

“These regional coalitions are primarily reactions to Israel’s current position. As long as Israel has not resolved issues in Gaza, neighbouring states find common ground against us,” Yehezkel said.

Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia is pursuing a new military alliance with Egypt and Somalia to counter the influence of the United Arab Emirates in the region. Egypt previously proposed establishing a regional defence force under the 1950 Defence and Economic Assistance Pact, intended as a rapid-response mechanism against external threats, but the plan was blocked by Qatar and the UAE.

By Aghakazim Guliyev