Egypt backtracks on statement criticising Israel's war on Gaza

Egypt's State Information Service appears to have deleted a strongly worded statement criticising Israel's war on Gaza that was published in response to Israeli officials accusing it of violating the 1979 peace treaty.

A statement published Saturday by the state agency condemned what it described as Israel's "fierce war of extermination" and said the Egyptian military is in a state of maximum alertness and preparedness, according to The New Arab's Arabic language edition.

Hours after publication, this was replaced with text featuring softer language that referred instead to Israel's "expansion of military operations".

The military has deployed forces to the region to confront militants and smuggling, which were done in coordination with the parties to the treaty, it said.

This came after US news outlet Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked the Trump administration to intervene and prevent Egypt from deploying more troops to the Sinai region.

In a list given to the US Secretary of State, Netanyahu alleged that Egypt has been constructing new military infrastructure in the region, which he claimed violated the Camp David Accords.

Two Israeli officials also alleged that Cairo was building underground bunkers that could potentially be used for offensive operations, such as storing missiles and extending runways at airbases.

Under the 1979 treaty, Egypt and Israel face strict limits on the number of troops and types of military equipment they can deploy near their shared border.

Israel appears to have violated the agreement since May 2024, when it positioned military units on the Egypt-Gaza border after seizing the so-called Philadelphi Corridor.

Since the early days of the war, Egyptian officials have feared that Israel aims to forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians over the border into the Sinai.

US President Donald Trump earlier this year called on Egypt and Jordan to accept Gaza's 2.2 million inhabitants as part of his widely condemned proposal to construct a luxury tourist development on the ruined territory.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah forcefully rejected Trump's demands.

Egyptian officials have repeatedly ruled out absorbing Palestinians from Gaza as a national security "red line".