NNA - Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Monday that Israel would not allow Egypt to “violate the peace treaty” between the two countries signed in 1979.

Katz made the remarks during a ceremony commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

He acknowledged Egypt’s status as “the largest and most powerful Arab country.”

Katz said the peace treaty “took Egypt out of the cycle of war” with “a leadership decision that changed the face of history and the situation of the State of Israel -- and that is still the case today.”

He noted, however, that “we will not allow them (the Egyptians) to violate the peace agreement. We will not allow them to violate infrastructure. We are dealing with this, but the agreement exists.”

Egypt has not responded to Katz’s statements.

The comments come “amid rumors by right-wing elements online that the Egyptian army was preparing to attack Israel unexpectedly, despite the peace agreement,” according to the report.

The rumors have aroused concern among many Israelis, it added.

In recent months, Egypt and its military have been the subject of political attacks by Israeli officials. On Sunday, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing party Yisrael Beiteinu, suggested that “the transfer of most of Gaza's Palestinians to the Sinai would be a practical and effective solution.”

Lieberman proposed that Egypt absorb most of Gaza’s population, claiming it would not require a large destination for migration according to US President Donald Trump’s plan.

He added that Gaza suffers from high population density, while the Sinai has vast underutilized lands.

Lieberman also claimed that Palestinians in Gaza and the Sinai share language, culture and familial ties, making integration “natural.”

He further suggested that Egypt “benefits economically by mediating between Israel and Hamas and profiting from smuggling operations via tunnels and the Rafah crossing.”

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid proposed during a speech last month at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank in Washington, DC that Egypt assume control of Gaza for up to 15 years in exchange for canceling its more than $150 billion worth of foreign debt.

In the same period, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi expressed concern about Egypt’s “security threat.”

He added, however, that “we believe that this is not a threat now, but this situation can change in a moment,” according to Israel’s Channel 14.

Speaking to graduates of an officer training course in Holon, Halevi warned that “Egypt has a large military equipped with advanced weaponry, including aircraft, submarines, sophisticated missiles and a vast number of tanks and infantry forces.”

This is not the first time in recent months that an Israeli official has expressed apprehension over Egypt’s military buildup.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon has also questioned why Egypt is expanding its military capabilities.

“They have no regional threats. So why do they need all these submarines and tanks?” Dannon said at the end of January.

In response, Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Osama Abdel Khalek, firmly defended Egypt’s military capabilities.

“The answer is clear, simple and direct: major and powerful countries like Egypt require strong and capable armies to defend their comprehensive national security through adequate and diverse armaments.”

He emphasized that “Egypt was the first to establish peace in the Middle East and remains committed to it as a strategic choice, but it also possesses a powerful army and a history spanning thousands of years.”

“Egypt’s military doctrine is defensive, yet it remains fully capable of deterrence,” he added.

On March 26, 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty in Washington, DC following the Camp David Accords, which were brokered by US President Jimmy Carter and signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1978.

Key provisions of the treaty included the cessation of hostilities, normalization of relations and Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, which was designated as a demilitarized zone.--AA

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