Israeli media outlets have continued to broadcast reports warning about the Egyptian military presence in the Sinai Peninsula despite repeated denial from Egypt, RT reported.
Hebrew reports indicated that Egypt’s military presence in Sinai is sparking widespread controversy in Israel, which is demanding the withdrawal of military infrastructure there and view its presence as a violation of the peace agreement between them.
Israeli military sources confirmed that the Israeli government is pressuring through diplomatic and security channels, including Washington, to reach an official agreement on this issue.
According to official sources and military experts, as reported by the Israeli news website nziv, the Egyptian military deployment in Sinai includes 88 battalions with 42,000 troops.
This is in addition to three full military divisions, 1,500 tanks and armored vehicles, and projects to develop and expand the runways of a military airport, and to strengthen air defense networks and seaports.
In contrast, the peace agreement signed in 1978 allowed for only 50 battalions, with 22,000 troops.
Egypt’s response
In statements to Egyptian media outlets, the former director of Egyptian intelligence, Nasser Salem, responded to the allegations by saying that Israeli concerns are unjustified.
He added that Israel is seeking to divert attention from the situation in Gaza and its own internal crises.
A professor of Hebrew studies at Alexandria University, Ahmed Fouad Anwar, said that Tel Aviv is seeking to pressure Egypt to absorb Palestinian refugees in Sinai.
The former Egyptian Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Hazem Khairat believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is exploiting this issue to divert attention from his political failure in dealing with domestic and foreign crises.
An expert on Israeli affairs at the Al-Ahram Center for Research and Policy Studies, Saeed Okasha, notes that Israel fears that Egypt will regain its deterrent military capabilities.
Cairo asserts that its military presence in Sinai is legal and is carried out in accordance with the amendments agreed upon in the security annex to the peace treaty.
Regarding the peace treaty, Ambassador Khairat emphasized that any talk of threatening the treaty is illogical, as stable relations between Egypt and Israel serve the interests of both sides.
