SINAI — Egypt plans to conduct live-fire military exercises in the Sinai Peninsula, coordinated with Israel under the terms of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty. The planned drills have drawn objections from Israeli border communities located near the frontier.

Under the treaty, Sinai is divided into zones with strict limits on military deployments. In Zone C, only lightly armed police and international observers are permitted, and any activity involving regular Egyptian army forces near the frontier requires prior coordination and approval from Israel.

The Forum for Israel's Border Communities said it was unacceptable for Egyptian forces to conduct exercises close to the border. "We warn against the creation of dangerous norms that led to October 7," the Forum said. "Residents of the border communities are not a testing ground for the State of Israel or a training zone for the Egyptian army," the Forum added.

A female resident of Bnei Netzarim raised concerns about the timing and proximity of the exercises. "The sequence of events is eerily reminiscent of what preceded the October 7 disaster," she said. She questioned the approval process for the drills: "How, after everything we've been through, does the [Israeli military] approve a foreign army operating with live fire right on the contact line?" the resident said.

The resident also pointed to the geography of the peninsula. "Gunfire noise is the perfect cover for smuggling or even a raid. Why allow them to get so close? They have vast areas in Sinai," she said.

In September 2025, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi referred to Israel as an "enemy," the first time he had used such language since taking office in 2014.