Middle East Monitor / September 16, 2025
Diaa Rashwan, head of the State Information Service, highlighted the closing remarks of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during the Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, where he called for the need “to change our positions on the enemy’s view of us.”
Speaking to Extra News TV channel, Rashwan said: “The last time the word ‘enemy’ was used by Egypt’s top official, or by any state official, was before the peace treaty in 1977.”
He added: “This is the first time the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt has spoken the word ‘enemy’ since 11 November 1977, on the day President Sadat visited occupied Jerusalem, and it has not been repeated since. Its implications are very significant.”
Rashwan explained that “the term matches the current reality, as Egypt is under threat, and only an enemy threatens national security.”
He referred to President Sisi’s statement that the threat of displacing Palestinians represents “a red line that we will never accept under any circumstances.”
He also noted that President Sisi revived the expression “the central cause” when describing the Palestinian issue, saying: “This phrase was used in the past when the Palestinian cause began, but many either ignored it, forgot it, or felt we had to bury it, trusting that Israel was peaceful.”
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Egypt’s president warns Israeli actions risk undermining current peace agreements
Middle East Monitor / September 15, 2025
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned Monday that Israel’s actions risk undermining current peace agreements, Anadolu reports.
“What is happening now undermines the future of peace, threatens your security and the security of all peoples of the region, and obstructs any prospects for new peace agreements,” Sisi addressed the Israeli public during his speech to an emergency Arab-Islamic summit in Doha.
“It also undermines existing peace agreements with countries in the region. The consequences will be dire, with the region returning to an atmosphere of conflict and the loss of historic peace-building efforts and gains achieved through them. This is a price we will all pay, without exception.”
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement in 1979.
The Egyptian leader called for the creation of “an Arab-Islamic mechanism for consultation to face challenges.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, for his part, called for a strong regional response to last week’s Israeli attack on the Qatari capital, Doha.
“Our response to aggression against Qatar must be clear, decisive, and deterrent, as Israel’s threat knows no bounds,” he told the summit.
Monday’s summit was called by Qatar after Israeli warplanes struck a compound housing Hamas leadership in Doha last week, killing five group members.
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Report: Egypt offers to host Palestinian factions, warns Israel against targeting them
Middle East Monitor / September 12, 2025
Egypt has issued a stern warning to Israel, cautioning that any attempt to launch operations on Egyptian soil—similar to the recent strike in Doha—would have “dire consequences,” Egyptian sources told the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar on Thursday.
At the same time, Cairo has signalled its readiness to host Palestinian faction leaders and provide them protection, underscoring Egypt’s role as both mediator and defender of Arab security.
According to the report, Israel’s strike in Doha was carried out as an alternative to an assassination it had planned in Turkey. Sources revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government calculated that pressure on Qatar could be managed through Washington, while Turkey’s NATO membership risked provoking severe political and economic consequences for Israel.
Meanwhile, negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza remain deadlocked while Egypt accused Israel of obstructing aid deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing and ignoring Cairo’s demands regarding the type and quantity of humanitarian supplies permitted into the Strip.
Diplomatic sources said Egyptian-Israeli communications have now “reached their lowest point.”
Talks with Washington are ongoing but have yielded little progress, the report noted, largely due to Israel’s refusal to apologize for its actions.
In parallel, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty discussed with Qatari officials in Doha on Thursday “ways to confront the dangerous Israeli escalation” and reaffirmed Egypt’s full solidarity with Qatar.
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Egypt deploys Chinese HQ-9B missiles in Sinai, heightening Israeli fears
Middle East Monitor / September 16, 2025
Press reports revealed that Egypt has deployed Chinese HQ-9B long-range air defence systems at strategic sites in the Sinai Peninsula, a move that has triggered fresh concerns in Israel over possible escalation.
Israeli outlets had previously confirmed that Egypt had acquired the advanced HQ-9B, a system comparable to Russia’s S-400 missile defence platform. The deployment signals Cairo’s readiness to reinforce its defences as tensions over Gaza intensify.
Egyptian Defence Minister Abdel Majeed Saqr recently stressed that military preparedness is “not merely a matter of morale, but a genuine readiness to confront any developments on the ground.” He warned that “any attempt to undermine Egypt’s borders — even the mere thought of it — will surprise the world with what Egypt possesses, and with what it has not yet revealed of its capabilities.”
The move comes amid growing fears that Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza could spill over into Egypt, with mass displacement of Palestinians into Sinai viewed in Cairo as a red line. By deploying the HQ-9B, Egypt is sending a clear message of deterrence and signalling its ability to respond to any potential threat.
The HQ-9B system, the latest in China’s missile defence family, has a range of up to 200 kilometres and can intercept fighter jets, drones, and cruise missiles. Its advanced radar can track targets up to 300 kilometres away even under heavy electronic jamming, while its flexible design allows deployment on mobile trucks or at fixed installations to protect airports, ports, and military bases.
In recent years, the Egyptian army has significantly reinforced its presence in North Sinai, stationing tens of thousands of troops and thousands of heavy vehicles. Israel has expressed unease at Egypt’s military buildup and modernisation drive, which regional observers say is reshaping the strategic balance and fuelling speculation about Cairo’s long-term defence posture.
