Egypt Threatens to Deploy Fighter Jets and Heavy Weapons in Sinai

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The Al-Akhbar newspaper, citing its sources, reported that Egypt has warned of an escalation of the military conflict within the framework of contacts through the security coordination mechanism with Israel and the United States.

The newspaper stated that Egypt has warned that if Gaza residents leave its territory in large numbers, the Egyptian army will double the number of its forces on the border with Gaza within 72 hours and transfer heavy weapons and fighter jets to the Sinai Peninsula, including the demilitarized zone "C".

The Egyptian army considers the movement of Gaza residents to the borders a direct threat to Egypt's national security, which requires a different military stance than the current situation.

According to the report, during the contacts within the framework of the security coordination mechanism, Israel’s full responsibility for preventing the transfer of Gaza residents to the Rafah crossing was emphasized.

According to the Egyptian military source, Cairo is counting on a show of force by sending heavy weapons and troops to the border strip to deter Israel and prevent the implementation of forced displacement, at least in the foreseeable future.

The newspaper also reported, citing a senior Egyptian military official, that Egyptian army commanders have received instructions as part of a plan to deal with any exceptional incidents at the border according to certain rules, including refraining from shooting at Palestinians approaching the border strip and dealing solely with humanitarian standards.

The newspaper also reported that Egypt has expressed dissatisfaction with Israel’s repeated statements regarding allegations that Egypt is using drones to smuggle weapons to Hamas, a claim that Cairo completely denies, even unofficially.