Egypt’s deal with Israel to permanently station troops along a troubled stretch of their border in the Sinai Peninsula represents a qualitative leap in relations that caps years of growing security co-operation between the former foes, analysts say.
The deal is an amendment of the security section of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty that regulates the number of troops and type of equipment Egyptian troops can have in the Sinai Peninsula, the main theatre of military operations in the three full-fledged wars the two fought between 1948 and 1973.
Only policemen with light arms are allowed in the section of Sinai bordering Israel and the Gaza strip, according to the treaty.
The analysts say the deal was the fruition of years of negotiations between the two nations that were successfully concluded when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in September, the first public meeting between leaders of the two countries in more than a decade.
The deal, according to the analysts, enshrines what has been the case on the ground for years but on an ad hoc basis. Israel has in recent years allowed Egypt on a case-by-case basis the deployment of troops, armour and air assets to use against militants fighting security forces in Sinai’s north-eastern corner.
The enhanced Egyptian security presence there also resulted in the curtailment of activity by arms and human traffickers as well as denying Egyptian extremists a safe haven in Gaza, which has since 2007 been ruled by the militant Hamas group.
“It is the first time in nearly five decades that we have troops permanently deployed along the border with Israel,” said military analyst Sameer Farag, a retired army general and a veteran of the 1973 Mideast war.
“It was President El Sisi who negotiated this deal; and Israel agreed because its plate is full facing off with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
Egypt’s military announced the deal on Monday, saying it was part of efforts to safeguard the country’s national security and secure the border in the “strategic” north-eastern corner of Sinai.
“The joint (Egyptian-Israeli) military committee has succeeded through a co-ordination meeting with the Israeli side to amend the security agreement to increase the number of border guards and their capabilities on the border area at Rafah,” Egypt’s chief military spokesman wrote on his Facebook page on Monday.
“This comes in the context of an international agreement; and reinforces the foundations of security to deal with changes and variables.”
Neither Egypt nor Israel have disclosed the number of troops that would be deployed on the Egyptian side of the border or the military hardware they will have.
But the deal was widely viewed in Egypt as a milestone in relations with Israel and a diplomatic success.
“The agreement is clearly overdue but remains a monumental event. It’s very rare in international law to see a valid treaty being amended,” said Gehad Auda, a political science professor at Egypt’s Helwan university.
Egypt became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, but relations between the two nations had for years been branded a “cold peace” because of the scarcity of contact between the two peoples.
However, security co-ordination between the two has grown steadily closer in recent years, mostly in the fight against Islamic militants.
Relations became warmer on other fronts, too.
Israel in September lifted a cap of 1,200 Israelis allowed daily to go through its Taba border crossing into Egypt’s Sinai; its beaches and pristine and marine life-rich Red Sea waters have traditionally attracted Israeli tourists.
Last month, Egypt authorised its national carrier to fly to Israel after decades in which the government used Air Sinai, a subsidiary of EgyptAir, to fly unmarked aircraft between Cairo and Ben Gurion Airport on the outskirts of Tel Aviv.
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Timeline
1947
Ferrari’s road-car company is formed and its first badged car, the 125 S, rolls off the assembly line
1962
250 GTO is unveiled
1969
Fiat becomes a Ferrari shareholder, acquiring 50 per cent of the company
1972
The Fiorano circuit, Ferrari’s racetrack for development and testing, opens
1976
First automatic Ferrari, the 400 Automatic, is made
1987
F40 launched
1988
Enzo Ferrari dies; Fiat expands its stake in the company to 90 per cent
2002
The Enzo model is announced
2010
Ferrari World opens in Abu Dhabi
2011
First four-wheel drive Ferrari, the FF, is unveiled
2013
LaFerrari, the first Ferrari hybrid, arrives
2014
Fiat Chrysler announces the split of Ferrari from the parent company
2015
Ferrari launches on Wall Street
2017
812 Superfast unveiled; Ferrari celebrates its 70th anniversary
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The Cockroach
(Vintage)
Ian McEwan
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Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
