Egypt-Israel Relations Sour
29 January 2024 - Tensions between Egypt and Israel have soared as the latter advances its assault towards the south of the Gaza Strip. Conflict between the nations arose initially over the Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarised zone introduced in 1979 acting as a buffer between Egypt and Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted a need to control and monitor the Corridor which historically served to allow Egypt to smuggle weapons to Hamas - this has alarmed Egypt.
Netanyahu’s actions cause concern on three fronts: firstly, Egypt denies allegations of weapons smuggling (having in the past severed ties with Hamas and destroyed smuggling tunnels beneath the Corridor). Secondly, Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor would violate the terms of the 1979 peace treaty between the two countries - suggesting to Egypt perhaps a willingness to break further peace agreements. Thirdly, Egypt is concerned that assaults by Israel on the southern Gaza border will cause Palestinians to flee into the Sinai Peninsula, leaving Egypt with a refugee crisis to remedy, and with Israel unwilling to let those Palestinians return. The potential refugee population Egypt would be made to support is unclear - however, with an estimated one million internally displaced Gazans residing in the city of Rafah, which lines the Egyptian border, any assault by Israel may very well induce a movement of hundreds of thousands.
Diplomatic tensions have only increased since Netanyahu’s initial comments concerning the Philadelphi Corridor. A former Israeli parliament member has warned of the military strength Egypt possesses (despite admitting that this strength is used to deter ISIS insurgents, as opposed to preparing for war against Israel), and Egypt reportedly considered recalling its Israeli ambassador after Israel’s ICJ lawyers claimed Egypt was withholding aid to Gaza.
Tensions between the two countries, fragile at present, may be worsened further due to economic disasters Egypt faces due to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Revenue from the Suez Canal - usually a bastion of prosperity for Egypt - has decreased by as much as 40% recently, on account of Houthi attacks on trade ships. These Houthi attacks are, in turn, made in support of Palestine against Israel. Continued Israeli aggression could therefore be seen by Egypt to be at least partially responsible for a significant slash in profits, leading to greater hostility between the two nations.
These tensions can only be seen as unwelcome news to the Middle East, a region experiencing ever-greater threats of wide military escalation. The outcome of Egypt and Israel’s recent animosity will likely affect the future of the region in some form.
Image Credits: REUTERS | Edited by GorStra Team