DESPERATE Israel Escalate War With Egypt?!

Right, so phase one of the Gaza ceasefire is almost over, as frantic negotiations continue to get an agreement that is never likely to come, Benjamin Netanyahu as we know cannot afford to agree to a ceasefire, it will be the end of him and his government if he does. But it is not so much Gaza that is the focus here, but instead the ramifications the end of the ceasefire could have, that could end up seeing the end of peace with Egypt, that has lasted for 46 years and as always, Israel are the ones instigating this.
In what is being viewed as a blatant effort to collapse the Gaza ceasefire, Israel have now reneged on their decision to leave the Philadelphi Corridor, the buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt, which Israel are illegally occupying, not just because it is Gazan territory, but because it violates the peace accords between Egypt and Israel too.
With Egypt having parked tanks outside of Rafah and beefing up their defences already in light of Donald Trump’s threat to ethnically cleanse the people of Gaza into Egypt and Jordan, Israeli control of this corridor is more unthinkable than ever and with threats towards Egypt having been issued as well, is this the next war front in waiting as Netanyahu’s madness continues to spread?
Right, so as the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire approaches its conclusion, the prospect of conflict erupting between Israel and Egypt grows increasingly likely. Israel’s recent declaration that it will not withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor—a narrow buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border—has not only violated the terms of the current ceasefire but also flouted the Camp David Accords, the landmark 1979 peace agreement that has maintained stability between Israel and Egypt for over four decades and although Egypt have been flexible previously on this matter in order to reach a peace agreement, the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire, combined with the narrative of Donald Trump makes this a lot less acceptable now. This is a brazen move by Israel, widely seen as an attempt to derail negotiations for the second phase of the ceasefire, which is set to begin tomorrow on March 1st. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing internal political pressures from the likes of Bezalel Smotrich and his Religious Zionism Party appears more than willing to risk escalating tensions with Egypt to avoid accepting any deal that would almost certainly collapse his government and dump him out of power.
Anyway, lets start with this business of the Philadelphi Corridor, which is a 14-kilometer strip of land along the Egypt-Gaza border and it has been an ongoing feature of the Gaza genocide, having been under illegal Israeli control for roughly a year now.
Under the terms of the Camp David Accords, the area is designated as a demilitarized zone, Israel have no business being there whatsoever, let alone controlling it. However, Israel’s military incursion into the corridor and now its refusal to withdraw represent a blatant violation of both the ceasefire agreement and those Camp David Accords.
Netanyahu’s deranged Defence Minister Israel Katz has been particularly vocal in defending this decision, stating that Israel “cannot and will not” leave the Philadelphi Corridor, citing security concerns related to Hamas’s alleged use of smuggling tunnels in the area. A quote featured in The Cradle saying:
‘”We also have information that Hamas is planning to attack soldiers and towns during the ceasefire,” Katz claimed during a meeting.
The Philadelphia axis will remain a buffer zone, just as is the case in Lebanon and Syria,” the defence minister added, openly confirming that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the area. “I have seen with my own eyes a fair number of tunnels that penetrate Philadelphia, some of which were closed and others open.”’
Katz’s insane comments, however, have been met with widespread condemnation. Critics argue that Israel’s presence in the corridor is not about security but rather about maintaining control over Gaza and undermining the ceasefire negotiations.
By refusing to withdraw, Israel is effectively sabotaging the first phase of the ceasefire and jeopardizing the prospects for a second phase, exactly as many of us have been warning about and is completely par for the course for a nation that for it’s government to survive, returning to the genocide is the only move available to them, such is the depravity and unhinged nature of those in power in Israel. It is a deliberate attempt by Netanyahu to avoid making concessions that could see the fall of his far-right coalition government and as such, his administration has evidently chosen to escalate tensions with Egypt rather than pursue a path toward lasting peace, a peace that for too many in power in Israel is unthinkable and unacceptable.
The current ceasefire, brokered by Egypt and Qatar, was intended to provide a temporary respite from the violence that has devastated Gaza and to create a framework for more substantive negotiations, a nice idea and a welcome break for the people of Gaza to be sure, but not one achievable when Israel are such dishonest brokers. The first phase, which included a limited exchange of prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid, was seen as a tentative step toward de-escalation and despite Israel breaching that ceasefire repeatedly, denying aid and committing further acts of atrocity in Gaza, it has held for the full duration of that first phase. However, Israel’s actions now on the Philadelphi Corridor are a clear show that phase two will never be something Israel agree to and are a deliberate undermining of efforts others have entered into in good faith and as you might have imagined, they have provoked a strong response from Hamas.
Hamas officials have accused Israel of acting in bad faith you won’t be surprised to hear and accused them of using the ceasefire as a cover to consolidate its military control over Gaza. In a statement, Hamas warned that Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor “threatens to reignite the conflict and plunge the region into further chaos.” The group has also called on Egypt and other mediators to hold Israel accountable for its violations and to ensure that the terms of the ceasefire are enforced, so again, Egypt placed under more pressure here.
With Israel’s actions pretty much showing its commitment to the peace process is about as honest as anything else they’ve done or said – in other words non existent – there is absolutely no realistic chance that I can see of a peaceful and successful negotiation.
Egyptian officials have to the surprise still of some, expressed deep frustration with Israel’s actions, much piss has been boiled here, viewing them as a violation of both the ceasefire agreement and the Camp David Accords. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has reportedly warned that Israel’s presence on the Philadelphi Corridor is “unacceptable” and could lead to a “dangerous escalation.” Perhaps he should have thought about that earlier when he gave Israel an inch and they took a mile, but there we go. Egypt has also raised concerns about Israel’s broader military posture in the region, including its airstrikes in Gaza and its restrictions on the movement of goods and people, the Kerem Shalom crossing where much aid gets in for example being inexplicably closed the other day, though it has since reopened, it being reported today that
‘"195 aid trucks, including 16 fuel trucks, have entered Al-Auja and the Kerem Shalom crossing since this morning…in preparation for their entry into the Gaza Strip."’
The cracks beginning to show in the relationship between Egypt and Israel, despite Egypt’s position as a ceasefire mediator have been steadily worsening for several months, though things seem to have picked up more recently. Egypt has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and more recently in the West Bank, slamming these abuses as counterproductive to the goal of achieving a two-state solution, but then Israel do not want that, so quite why Egypt should be surprised now by this I really don’t know. Israel are not committed to the two state solution, it’s paid lip service it and that is it. At the same time, Israel has become ever more suspicious of Egypt’s intentions, putting on the victimhood act and squealing about tanks outside the Gaza border and the reinforcement of barriers there, but when you threaten to displace a load of people into their land, completely illegally, you shouldn’t be surprised at not getting a warm reception over that, but given Israel is so used to always getting its own way, this spoilt brat nation spitting its dummy is pretty par for the course.
The rhetoric from Israeli officials has further inflamed tensions, with some portraying Egypt now as a security threat, because that is sure to calm matters down. Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi has expressed “deep concern” about Egypt’s military buildup in the Sinai, describing it as a “potential challenge to Israel’s security.” Egypt not allowed to defend itself or have any notion of security itself of course, that’s a picture we should all recognise by now. But it also means Israel and Egypt are more and more viewing each other as adversaries than peaceful neighbours.
The situation has been further complicated by the involvement of the United States, which has traditionally played a mediating role in the region. Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter has reportedly warned that Israel will “deal with Egypt very soon” if it does not take steps to address Israel’s security concerns. An attack on a mediator nation would go a long way towards derailing the Gaza ceasefire too, plus again it shows Israel are prepared to make enemies of anyone if it means Netanyahu keeps his government together and himself in power.
If Israel and Egypt do come to blows, if a breakdown in the Camp David Accords happens, it would not only destabilise the region but also undermine the broader framework of Arab-Israeli peace. The accords have served as a model for other peace agreements, including the Abraham Accords between Israel and several other Arab states. If the Israel-Egypt peace agreement were to collapse therefore, theoretically it could have a domino effect, leading to the unravelling of other diplomatic achievements as those Arab nations may turn to support Egypt and isolate Israel further.
Therefore, the prospect of a direct conflict between Israel and Egypt raises the likelihood of a wider regional war. Such a conflict could draw in other regional actors, with all the devastating consequences that could have for civilian populations there and this is especially true for Egypt itself, with some 10m people potentially in the firing line, if Israel enact a recently leaked plan to target the Aswan High dam as I discussed the other week. The humanitarian toll would be immense, not least of which in Gaza, who we must always keep in mind as a reminder that if the international community acted accordingly there earlier, we wouldn’t even be talking about wider escalations and yet here we are.
For more on that threat to Egypt’s Aswan High Dam that has come from Israel, which has certainly only helped along the prospect of war between Israel and Egypt, check out this video recommendation here as your suggested next watch. Please do also hit like share and subscribe before you do so though, so as to ensure you don’t miss out on all new daily content as well as help support the channel as that does which is very much appreciated and I will hopefully catch you on the next vid. Cheers folks.