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Brig. Gen. Itamar Ben Chaim, commander of the IDF's 80th Division said there is no threat of war with Egypt. The general met with residents living near the Israeli-Egyptian border and sought to dispel concerns over unverified reports suggesting that Egypt was preparing for an attack from the Sinai Peninsula, adding that that the IDF was not making preparations for it.
“The scenario in which the Egyptian army launches an attack in this area— we are not preparing for it because we do not believe it is a realistic scenario in the immediate future,” Ben Chaim said in recordings obtained by ynet.
His remarks come as the IDF investigates the sources behind widespread rumors that Egypt’s military is conducting large-scale exercises in Sinai ahead of an alleged surprise attack on Israel. Addressing these claims for the first time, Ben Chaim firmly rejected them.
The 80th Division, responsible for securing Israel’s border with Sinai, operates under the constraints of the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty, which limits Egyptian military presence in the peninsula unless Israel grants special permission, such as for operations against ISIS or tunnel destruction near Gaza.
During the meeting, one resident confronted Ben Chaim, drawing parallels to the intelligence failures exposed in recent investigations into the October 7 Hamas attack, particularly regarding gaps between enemy capabilities and intentions. Notably, Egypt has significantly bolstered its military capabilities in recent years.
Ben Chaim acknowledged these concerns but emphasized the importance of Israel’s peace agreement with Egypt. “You should take an interest in the agreement,” he said, explaining that Israel must allocate military resources across multiple fronts, including the West Bank, Lebanon, Gaza, and Jordan. “We assess the threats we face. I do not believe that an attack, as described here, will occur in the near future, meaning in the coming years. If such a decision is made, we will know how to prepare.”
Despite Ben Chaim’s reassurances, activists criticized the IDF’s approach, accusing it of ignoring a potential threat. “The IDF is taking serious risks at the expense of residents and dismissing the clear danger before our eyes,” the group Otef Yisrael Forum, representing hundreds of residents in Israeli communities near Gaza, said in a statement. They pointed to recent remarks by IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, who reportedly warned that Egypt’s posture could shift rapidly and that Israel is closely monitoring the situation.
“The military must listen to the public rather than dismiss our concerns,” the statement continued. “Before October 7, our warnings were ignored, and we were fed false security assumptions that led to disaster. The minimum demand should be for Egypt to withdraw its forces from northern Sinai.”
Rumors about a potential Egyptian military buildup, despite the peace treaty, have been spreading in recent weeks, particularly among right-wing circles and online forums, fueling unease among Israelis.
Adding to the controversy, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Yehiel Leiter, made a rare public statement last month, accusing Egypt of violating the peace agreement. “Egypt is building offensive military bases, and we have turned a blind eye for a long time. But this continues. It is a clear violation. This is an issue we will bring to the table in the near future,” Leiter said.
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A video of his remarks was swiftly removed from the internet, without confirmation or denial from Israel’s Foreign Ministry, but not before it drew criticism from Cairo.
The IDF has yet to respond to the matter. However, in an official statement, the military’s spokesperson said: “The division commander presented residents with key aspects of the situation assessment, operational efforts, and the division’s preparedness for all potential threats, in accordance with priority considerations.”