Egyptian Military Buildup in Sinai: a Potential Eighth Front in Israel's 7-Front War?

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has often spoken about the seven-front war that Israel has been fighting since the Hamas massacre and kidnappings on October 7th, 2023.

Recently, however, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter expressed concern about a potential eighth front in the war: a military buildup by the Egyptian military in the Sinai Peninsula.

On CBN News' Global Lane, Gary Lane spoke with Josh Hasten from Jewish News Syndicate about the Egyptian action. The text of their interview is below.

To watch the interview, click on the video above.

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news.*** 

GARY LANE: So first, what can you tell us about the Israeli ambassador's assertion about the Egyptian troop buildup in the Sinai? Is it true? And if so, why would Egypt be doing that in violation of the Camp David Accords?

JOSH HASTEN: Yeah, it's absolutely true. And this is a violation of those peace accords which go back all the way to 1979. At this juncture, we're not exactly sure why the Egyptians are doing so. But Egypt, you know, a country which borders Gaza and Israel, a country which did not let in many of those Gazans who could have been seeking refuge from the war in Gaza.

Egypt also turning a blind eye, for so many years, to the Hamas smuggling tunnels. All of a sudden they have established a military presence, several brigades down there in the Sinai. Number one, it seems like they're moving into an offensive position. Could they be, perhaps, trying to lead some sort of attack against Israel? That is our great concern right now, that's number one.

Number two, could they be establishing positions there, because of the Trump plan, thinking that perhaps, in fact, Gazans will try to flee toward Egypt. That could be a concern of the Egyptians. Now, they've been holding Gazans, they're not letting them into Egypt. and all of a sudden they're playing a role on an international stage, perhaps trying to keep them in Gaza against the Trump plan. They're trying to put together a plan of their own. They'd like to see the Gazans remain in Gaza, unwilling to help their fellow Arab Muslims, instead trying to hold them there as pawns against the State of Israel, so it could it be it could be several of those factors playing in here. and that's the reason, perhaps, why you have a military buildup, again, in violation of the Israeli Egyptian peace accords.

GL:  Well, the good journalist that you are, and I know from my own experience, I mean, you always look at timing of things. Trump makes the announcement about suggesting possibly moving the people of Gaza into the Sinai, and then this. I mean, was this a sudden build-up, or has it been going on for some time now?

JH:  So it's happened before, there have been different instances of it. And unfortunately, Israel has downplayed the significance of past attempts by Egypt to show a military presence. And all of a sudden they have a new plan, if you will. completely the opposite of what President Trump says he wants to do..that is, move the Gazans out of Gaza in order to rebuild, and then the United States would take over. So all of a sudden Egypt wants to get involved when they've been quiet for so long, ignoring the plight of the Gazans, ignoring what's going on in that part of that part of the globe.

GL: So is Egypt's plan for Gaza getting any traction, what's the response?

JH:  Well it's a brand new plan right now. I just don't think it's feasible with the situation you have in Gaza, as President Trump has said time and time again, Gaza's in total ruins right now, you have those unexploded munitions right now, it's a very dangerous place to be. So do the Egyptians really want more people dying there, more kids dying with the unexploded munitions throughout there? Do you want people living in tents for years and years? The American administration has said it's going to take five, ten, 15 years to rebuild Gaza. Do you want the people actually staying there? So I don't think it's a realistic plan. I think that they're really trying to shirk from their responsibility, as they've been doing all along, and not give the Gazans a place to go, instead holding them there as pawns, as they've been doing, against the State of Israel.