Israel urges US to address Egypt military buildup in Sinai amid Gaza conflict

Israel has expressed serious concern over Egypt's military buildup in the Sinai Peninsula, which Israeli officials claim violates the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty that limits military presence and activity in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly asked the U.S., specifically Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to intervene and pressure Egypt to reduce its military activities, which allegedly include the construction of runways for fighter jets and underground facilities suspected to be missile storage sites. Despite Israel's diplomatic efforts, Egypt has not provided satisfactory explanations for these developments and denies the allegations, stating that the U.S. has not raised these issues with Cairo. The buildup has heightened tensions amid the ongoing war in Gaza, with Egypt concerned about potential Palestinian refugee influxes into Sinai and Israel worried about offensive military preparations. Israeli officials emphasized the seriousness of the violations and the need for the U.S. to uphold the peace treaty as its guarantor. The situation remains unresolved with increased Israeli calls for U.S. involvement due to a decline in multinational monitoring flights in the area.