Egyptian President Warns: Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty In Danger
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has issued a dramatic warning to Israel, cautioning that its ongoing military operations could lead to the collapse of the two nations' peace treaty.
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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi delivered a stark warning to Israel during the opening of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, cautioning that ongoing Israeli actions could lead to the collapse of the decades-old peace treaty between the two nations. While it might be more of a cold peace, the threat shows the declining relationship between the two countries.
Speaking at the summit, convened by Qatar in response to Israel's airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha last week, Sisi stated that he had directly alerted Israeli officials to the dangers posed by continued military operations and escalations across multiple fronts. "The current events and the continuation of fighting in various fronts increase the risk and heighten the possibility that the peace agreement between our countries will collapse," Sisi said, according to reports from the event.
The summit, attended by leaders from Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states, follows Israel's September 9 airstrike on a compound in Doha's diplomatic quarter, where senior Hamas political figures were meeting to discuss a U.S.-proposed Gaza ceasefire. The attack killed five Hamas members, including the son of chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, and one Qatari security officer, though the primary Hamas leadership survived. Qatar condemned the strike as "state terrorism" and a violation of its sovereignty, prompting widespread regional outrage and calls for a unified response.
Israel's military described the operation as a precision strike against Hamas figures responsible for the October 7, 2023, attacks and ongoing terrorism, carried out in retaliation for a Hamas-claimed shooting in Jerusalem that killed six Israelis the previous day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended the action, warning Qatar to expel Hamas leaders or face further consequences, while the U.S. White House expressed disapproval, stating the unilateral strike in a key ally's territory "does not advance Israel or America's goals."
Sisi's remarks underscore mounting tensions in Egypt-Israel relations, strained by the Gaza war and Israel's control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border, a buffer zone established under the 1979 Camp David Accords. Egypt has repeatedly warned that any displacement of Palestinians into Sinai could jeopardize the treaty, which has held despite periodic threats amid regional instability. Earlier this year, Sisi praised the accord as a "model for lasting peace" but has grown vocal about perceived violations, including military buildups in Sinai and Israel's Gaza operations.
The summit, preceded by a ministerial meeting on September 14, is expected to produce a draft resolution condemning the Doha strike as part of broader "Israeli hostile acts," including alleged "genocide" and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, and warning that such actions threaten regional normalization efforts like the Abraham Accords. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, chairing the preparatory talks, emphasized solidarity with Qatar and the need for "legitimate legal measures" to protect sovereignty.
As the gathering unfolds, observers anticipate discussions on concrete steps against Israel, potentially including economic or diplomatic curbs, though severing ties, as urged by Iran's president, remains unlikely.
It's not the first time there have been loud rumblings of discontent from Egypt. They are very unimpressed at the Israel-Hamas war (but refuse to open their borders to desperate Gazans). They have also been conducting unusual military operations, making Israel concerned. But, they are just one of Israel's many unhappy neighbors, and Israel doesn't seem to be taking Egypt's threats that seriously at this time.