After months of simmering tensions, Egypt's relations with former foe Israel are nearing the point of open enmity, with distrust between the pair fuelled by proposals to resettle Palestinians in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and claims that Cairo may be boosting its forces near Israel's border in preparation for war.
Sources familiar with the matter have also told The National that Egypt's recent arms purchases, including a deal for an advanced Chinese-made air defence system, is contributing to the heightened tension, with Israel's media sounding the alarm over Egypt's growing military might and raising questions about Cairo's intentions.
Relations between the Middle East neighbours have been tense since the Gaza war between Hamas and Israel broke out in October 2023, but the tension rose significantly in May last year when Israel seized a strip of land running the length of Egypt's border with Gaza on the Palestinian side, a move that has angered Cairo, which claimed it was a serious breach of its 1979 peace treaty with Israel and subsequent accords.
Tension rose again as Israel embraced and began to act upon a proposal first made in January by US President Donald Trump to resettle Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan before Washington takes over the enclave on the east Mediterranean coast and turns it into a glitzy resort.
Significantly, the leaders of Egypt and Israel have not spoken directly about the deterioration in relations, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government, according to the sources, leaking to loyal media outlets its concerns about Egypt's troop reinforcement in the Sinai Peninsula – the main theatre of Egypt's four full-fledged wars against Israel – and the aim behind its weapons procurement drive.
The sources said Israel has repeatedly complained to Egypt about what it sees as “unauthorised” military infrastructure in parts of Sinai that, under the terms of the peace treaty, should be demilitarised. The complaints have been relayed in person by officials from Israel's Mossad spy agency who have been frequently visiting Cairo for Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, they added.
Mr Netanyahu complained to Mr Trump at their White House meeting earlier this month about Egypt's military build-up and infrastructure in Sinai, the sources said, and asked the American leader to persuade the Egyptians to pull back from the border.
The Israeli media outlets loyal to Mr Netanyahu's government have more recently been sounding the alarm after news broke of Egypt purchasing and deploying of the Chinese-made, long-range HQ-9B air defence system that is widely believed to be on par with Russia's S-400 system.
Breaking with past practice, the deal with China was not announced by the Egyptian military. It was left to a retired army general, Samir Farag, to announce its arrival and deployment on a television talk show last week. However, at around the same time, the military said Egyptian and Chinese units were conducting aerial war drills that began in Egypt on April 15 and will continue until the end of the month.
Egypt's military, which enforces a stringent code of secrecy and controls media coverage of its affairs, has in recent years regularly publicised the purchase and arrival of multibillion-dollar weapon systems that included naval troop and helicopter carriers, submarines, fighter jets and missile systems.
“Egypt is dealing with the rapidly developing and grave events in the Middle East with maturity, political wisdom and restraint, but at the same time it does not rule out the use of military power to defend its interests,” said Egyptian analyst Khaled Okasha, head of the Cairo-based Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies, a think tank known to be close to the government.
President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has meanwhile used diplomatic language to condemn what he has frequently described as Israel's scorched earth tactics in Gaza to make the territory unfit for human habitation, thus forcing Palestinians to seek refuge elsewhere, namely Sinai, as well as its use of food as a weapon.
Separately, the foreign ministry has used strong language to denounce every Israeli action perceived in Cairo as heavy-handed, expansionist or oblivious to the lives and suffering of civilians, whether they are in Gaza, Lebanon or Syria.
After Israel's capture of the Gaza border strip, which it calls the “Philadelphi Corridor”, the foreign ministry said it was joining South Africa in its case before the International Court of Justice that alleged Israel committed genocide in Gaza.
Israel contends that underground tunnels running under the Egypt-Gaza border have been used to smuggle weapons and dual-use materials for Hamas. Moreover, it argues that, just as it made an exception and allowed Egypt to send troops and heavy arms to the demilitarised part of Sinai to fight Islamic extremists in recent years, it too wanted to keep its troops in the corridor to fight Hamas militants.
While Mr El Sisi and his government showed relative restraint in their public pronouncements on Israel, the task of projecting Egypt's rapidly growing enmity towards Israel, as well as some sabre-rattling, was left to loyal commentators, including retired army generals, who nightly appear on television talk shows to deliver messages that “official Egypt” wants to put out, said the sources.
These messages include stern warnings against forcing Gaza's Palestinians to move to the sparsely populated Sinai Peninsula, arguing that such action would pose a national security threat that Cairo will not tolerate. They also include accounts of Egypt's military capabilities.
Sometimes, they remind viewers of Egypt's last war with Israel in 1973, when Egyptian troops crossed the Suez Canal in a surprise attack that seized Israeli fortifications on the waterway's east bank in what was then Israeli-occupied Sinai.
Scores of social media accounts known to be controlled by the government disseminate posts filled with nationalist, anti-Israeli messages and calling on Egyptians to place their trust in Mr El Sisi, a former army general, and the military to deal with Israel.
On the ground, Egypt has since the Gaza war staged war-footing and intensely publicised drills involving its Third Army, which is chiefly tasked with defending Sinai and the Suez Canal. These involved use of live munitions, tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks, fighting vehicles and armoured personnel carriers.
It has also placed on high alert units deployed on the west side of the Suez Canal facing Sinai, according to the sources, with Defence Minister and armed forces' commander Gen Abdel Maguid Saqr recently assuring the nation that the military was ready and capable of dealing with any threat to its security.
“It all comes down to making sure that your potential enemy realises you're up to the fight if one is unavoidable,” said one of the sources. “It's a kind of deterrence that should make the enemy think twice before doing something stupid; and that, in turn, can safeguard the peace.”
Notably, some of the messages sent out by Egypt and its state institutions travel in a different direction, something that the sources said was designed to calm Egyptians angered by Israel's actions in Gaza and whose support for Palestinians' rights has become part of their identity for many.
Mr El Sisi, for example, has publicly emphasised that peace remained Egypt's strategic choice, while the Dar Al Eftaa, the state's highest arbiter on religious matters, gave a public rebuke this month to Muslim clerics who issued edicts saying war against Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza was a holy duty.
“Supporting the Palestinian people's legitimate rights is a moral and humanitarian duty, but only on condition that it is within the framework of their interest,” said a statement by Dar Al Eftaa. “Anything else will serve certain agendas or lead to dangerous adventures that will bring more destruction, displacement and calamities upon the Palestinian people.”
Egypt's US-sponsored peace treaty with Israel is widely viewed as a cornerstone of regional stability. Its regional ramifications live to this day, from signalling Egypt's exit from the cold war-era Soviet camp to the start of its close relations with the US, Israel's chief benefactor and supporter.
The treaty has allowed Egypt to receive billions of dollars in US aid over the years, including an annual $1.3 billion in military assistance. US economic aid also helped transform Egypt's economy after years of half-heartedly embracing a socialist ideology.
However, the peace with Israel has proved to be a “cold” one, with the pair co-operating on security and counter-terrorism, an arrangement that has grown significantly deeper in the decade or so before the latest Gaza war; all while Israel remained the main potential adversary in the war doctrine of the Egyptian military and most Egyptians shunning dealing with Israel on any level.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
MORE ON INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
UAE and Russia in numbers
UAE-Russia ties stretch back 48 years
Trade between the UAE and Russia reached Dh12.5 bn in 2018
More than 3,000 Russian companies are registered in the UAE
Around 40,000 Russians live in the UAE
The number of Russian tourists travelling to the UAE will increase to 12 percent to reach 1.6 million in 2023
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S23%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20edge%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%20Infinity-O%2C%203088%20x%201440%2C%20500ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%202%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F12GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20128%2F256%2F512GB%2F1TB%20(only%20128GB%20has%20an%208GB%20RAM%20option)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%20%2B%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%20f%2F4.9%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%3B%203x%2F10x%20optical%20zoom%2C%20Space%20Zoom%20up%20to%20100x%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4060fps%2C%20full-HD%4060fps%2C%20HD%4030fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.2%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20single%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20nano%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20cream%2C%20green%2C%20lavender%2C%20phantom%20black%3B%20online%20exclusives%3A%20graphite%2C%20lime%2C%20red%2C%20sky%20blue%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh4%2C949%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C449%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C449%20for%201TB%3B%20128GB%20unavailable%20in%20the%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Match info
UAE v Bolivia, Friday, 6.25pm, Maktoum bin Rashid Stadium, Dubai
Review: Tomb Raider
Dir: Roar Uthaug
Starring: Alicia Vikander, Dominic West, Daniel Wu, Walter Goggins
two stars
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELee%20Cronin%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlyssa%20Sutherland%2C%20Morgan%20Davies%2C%20Lily%20Sullivan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Red Star Belgrade v Tottenham Hotspur, midnight (Thursday), UAE
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen's%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The five pillars of Islam
More coverage from the Future Forum
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills