WSJ: Israel's Rafah offensive strains 45 years of peace with Egypt

Egypt is considering lowering its level of diplomatic relations with Israel due to the Israeli army's offensive on Rafah in the Gaza Strip, according to sources quoted by The Wall Street Journal.

"Egypt, the centre of Arab military, political, and cultural power, is now considering downgrading its diplomatic relations with Israel," the publication stated.

The newspaper highlighted that the "close, though not always warm" relations between Egypt and Israel are crucial for the national security of both nations. However, the Israeli offensive on Rafah "threatens to derail all of that."

Despite Israel informing Egypt about the planned attack and assuring that the key crossing for humanitarian aid into Gaza would remain unaffected, an unnamed Egyptian official noted that these promises "have not materialised."