Egyptian president el-Sisi praises 'model peace treaty' with Israel despite persisting concern about military buildup in Sinai

In a speech commemorating the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1982, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi praised the peace accord between his country and Israel, calling it a “model for resolving intractable conflicts.” 

“History bears witness to the peace accord between Egypt and Israel, brokered through American mediation, which stands as a demonstrable model for resolving intractable conflicts, quelling vengeful sentiments and establishing peace and stability,” el-Sisi said. 

Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accords in 1978, which created a framework for peace between the two countries, after twelve days of secret negotiations involving Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. 

The Camp David Accords led to the signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty in 1979, which included the provision that Israel pull its military forces out of the Sinai Peninsula and relinquish control of the territory to Egypt, which it did in April, 1982. 

The Egyptian president’s comments come after months of simmering tensions between the two countries occasioned by the Oct. 7 Gaza War, especially after Israeli forces seized the border area in Rafah, called the Philadelphi Corridor. 

Distrust has been heightened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to evacuate the population of Gaza, rebuilding the enclave as a kind of “Riviera of the Middle East,” which included a demand to resettle some Palestinians in the Sinai Peninsula, along with Israeli accusations that the buildup of Egyptian military forces in the Sinai is in preparation for a possible conflict with Israel. 

President el-Sisi also called on the international community and the United States to work towards a “just peace.” 

“‘Just peace is the imperative choice towards which we all shall strive.’ We look with earnest expectation to the international community, foremost among them the United States, and specifically U.S. President Donald Trump, to assume their anticipated and pivotal role,” el-Sisi stated. 

The “just peace,” according to el-Sisi, must include the establishment of a Palestinian state. 

“We affirm that just and comprehensive peace shall only be attained through the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, founded upon the resolutions of international legitimacy,” el-Sisi remarked, calling it "the definitive pathway to ending the cycle of violence and vengeance and achieving lasting peace.” 

El-Sisi said that Egypt remains “a solid bulwark against all endeavors aimed at the liquidation of the Palestinian cause,” once again reiterating the Arab demand for the implementation of the Arab proposal for Gaza, as opposed to the Trump Gaza proposal, rejecting “all forms of displacement.” 

After el-Sisi’s speech, Samir Ragheb, chairman of the Arab Foundation for Development and Strategic Studies, told The Media Line that the peace agreement has only succeeded at the governmental level, not at the popular level. 

“The peace treaty has worked well between governments,” Ragheb said. “Relations between the Egyptian state and Israeli state function. But between the people of both countries? That hasn’t worked.” 

Ragheb affirms that there is “very good coordination” between the IDF and the Egyptian military, saying it has helped prevent unnecessary conflict between the two. 

“Without solid coordination at multiple levels – from communications officers to the high committee for military relations between Egypt and Israel – without this, we could have war triggered by any mistake,” Ragheb told The Media Line. 

Ragheb is a retired senior officer in the Egyptian army and has often commented on issues involving Israel and Egypt in the media. However, CAMERA-UK has pointed out that Ragheb posted comments praising the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7 on his Facebook account. 

Recently, Israeli officials have become increasingly concerned about the buildup of Egyptian armored units in the Sinai. 

Egyptian political analyst Walid Kazziha, a former professor at the American University in Cairo, told The Media Line that Israeli officials are “overstating Egyptian military developments” in the Sinai. 

“From my perspective, Egypt is gradually increasing its military positions and capabilities – which is entirely natural. But the Israelis exaggerate this to claim, ‘Look, Egypt is building powerful military forces to attack Israel.’ Egypt has no such intentions,” Kazziha said. 

Recent satellite imagery has shown that while Egypt has brought in some armored units to the Sinai, most of its forces are deployed in a defensive posture, with little evidence of a buildup of offensive positions and capabilities. 

שרשור שישים סוף לשמועות על ההיערכות הצבאית המצרית במשולש הגבולות ישראל-הרצועה-מצרים 🧵

מאז תחילת מלחמת חרבות ברזל, עלו חששות מצד ישראלים רבים - האם מצרים נערכת בימים אלה לפלישה הדומה למתקפת החמאס?

אני רוצה לעשות סדר עם הסיפור הזה אחת ולתמיד. מוזמנים לקרוא את התחקיר:
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— Ben Tzion Macales (@BenTzionMacales) April 27, 2025

Social media user Ben Tzion Macales, recently posted a detailed analysis (in Hebrew) of publicly available satellite imagery and social media posts from the Sinai, demonstrating that Egypt’s military buildup largely occurred at the beginning of the war, with a gradual drawdown of some heavy armored units over time.