Egypt delays naming new Israel ambassador amid Gaza tensions

Egypt is continuing to delay the appointment of a new ambassador to Tel Aviv as diplomatic tensions continue with Israel amid its brutal war on Gaza.

Egyptian diplomatic sources told The New Arab's sister site Al Araby Al Jadeed that the Foreign Ministry will continue suspending highest-rank diplomatic representation due to Israel's aggression in Gaza and refusal to withdraw from the Rafah border.

There has been no Egyptian ambassador in Israel since last September, when Khaled Azmy stepped down and returned to Cairo.

According to Al Araby Al-Jadeed's sources, the ministry was considering the head of its Libya desk Tarek Dahrouj for the position but decided instead to make him Egypt's next ambassador to France.

Egypt has also been delaying the accreditation of Israel's new envoy to Cairo, Uri Rothman, leaving it without an ambassador for eight months.

Rothman, a senior diplomat and former head of the Israeli foreign ministry's Middle East bureau, was appointed by Tel Aviv to replace Amira Oron, whose term ended in September.

Officials said in March – when Rothman's name was absent from a list of newly-accredited ambassadors – that Israel's' decision to end the ceasefire with Hamas and the mass displacement of Palestinians were also behind the decision to block the appointment.

Relations between the two countries have sunk to their worst level in decades due to Israel's assault on the Palestinian territory and its seizure of the Philadelphi Corridor separating Gaza from Egypt in violation of the Camp David peace treaty.

Egypt has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel throughout its 19-month war on Gaza, which has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, though unconfirmed reports have said that behind the scenes officials have threatened to sever ties and even suspend the peace treaty due to its occupation of the border.

It has also joined South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Fears in Cairo that Israel plans to drive Gaza's 2.2 million residents into Egypt have been heightened in recent months following pressure from the Trump administration to open its border.

Israel's far-right government has lauded Trump's proposal to expel Gaza's population and its defence minister has ordered the military to begin preparations for their "voluntary migration".

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has vehemently rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians into Egypt as a national security "red line".

Israel also claims that Egypt has violated the peace agreement by increasing its military presence in the Sinai Peninsula and has demanded the withdrawal of forces. Most recently, Israeli media outlets have voiced alarm at Egypt's recent purchase of Chinese military hardware.

Officials have accused Egypt of facilitating the smuggling of arms to Hamas and other armed factions over the Gaza border.