The Ermiati news site The National reported on Monday that Egypt’s recent arms purchases, including a deal to purchase an advanced Chinese air defense system, are contributing to increased tensions between Cairo and Jerusalem, “nearing the point of open enmity.” Sources told The National that Israel has repeatedly complained to Egypt about its military buildup in the Sinai, which is a violation of the peace agreement. According to the report, the complaints were delivered personally by Mossad officials who have visited Cairo for ceasefire negotiations and met with the Egyptian and Qatari mediators. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu also complained to US President Donald Trump at their meeting this month about the Egyptian military buildup in the Sinai, and asked him to convince Egypt to move its forces away from the border. The sources also revealed that while Egyptian President El-Sisi and his government have shown relative restraint in their statements on Israel, the task of expressing Cairo’s ire against Israel and the “Trump Plan” to resettle Gazans has been left to commentators and retired generals in the Egyptian media who express severe warning on national media about forcing Gazans to move to the Sinai, claiming that it would pose a threat to Egyptian national security. Additionally, after Israel captured the Philadelphi Corridor, the Egyptian foreign ministry announced it was joining South Africa in its “genocide” case against Israel in the ICC. Egypt has not provided an answer to Israel’s concerns about the underground tunnels under the Egyptian-Gazan border, which were used to smuggle weapons and dual-use materials to Hamas. Israel has asserted that just like it made an exception to the peace deal to allow Egypt to send troops and army to the demilitarized part of the Sinai to fight ISIS, Israel must maintain troops at the Phialdelphi Corridor to fight Hamas. The report noted that dozens of social media accounts known to be controlled by the Egyptian government have been publishing posts full of nationalistic anti-Israel messages. Since the war began in Gaza, Egypt has also publicized multiple drills of its Third Army – which is responsible for defending Sinai and the Suez Canal – involving tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of tanks, live munitions, and APCs. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)