Egypt Threatens Israel With ‘Rupture’ in Relations

Egypt warned Israel on December 7 of “a rupture” in relations should Palestinian refugees continue to evacuate Gaza via the Sinai Peninsula. If enacted, this would have a staggering effect on Middle Eastern politics.

Israel’s counteroffensive against Hamas has displaced some 85 percent of the Gazan population—about 2 million people—according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

In preparation for its push further south into Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces issued warnings that civilians should move further south. Many civilians, with nowhere else to go, have fled Gaza through the Rafah Crossing into the Sinai Peninsula—Egyptian territory.

Egypt’s concern: Egypt worries Israel’s defense will “push Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt—and not allow them to return after the war.” Egyptians don’t want a large influx of Palestinian refugees partly because Sinai already struggles with Islamist insurgents and they fear the possibility of Hamas terrorists entering the region.

Coming rupture: Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt is a fundamental cornerstone of its foreign policy. That treaty ensures that Israel will not be attacked from all sides, as it was during the Yom Kippur War and Six-Day War. However, this peace treaty won’t last—and when Israel-Egypt ties rupture, it will put Israel in great danger.

The Bible forecasts the end of this relationship and the key role it will play in global events. To learn more, read our free booklet The King of the South.