Tensions rise along the Egyptian border

On November 6, 2025, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly declared “war” on weapon smuggling via drones over the Egyptian border.

During an “emergency meeting” on the drone threat with IDF, police, Shin Bet, and Defense Ministry officials, Katz instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to “turn the area adjacent to the Israel–Egypt border into a closed military zone and to amend the rules of engagement accordingly in order to combat the drone threat that endangers the country’s security.”

This signals an escalatory movement along an extremely critical border which has long witnessed violent military confrontations.

The issue of drone smuggling

The issue of smuggling weapons across the Egyptian border has long been a contentious matter for Israel. This was one of the pretexts that Tel Aviv relied on to occupy the Philadelphi Corridor during its war on Gaza.

Today, Israel has raised concerns regarding drone smuggling along the border, vowing to crackdown on this security matter. Katz claimed that “weapon smuggling via drones is part of the war in Gaza and aims to arm our enemies, and every possible means must be taken to stop it.” He asserted that Israel must “create deterrence and make clear to those involved in smuggling that the rules of the game have changed.”

It is worth noting that following October 7, 2023, Israel has opted for a more aggressive military approach across the region as a means to achieve “deterrence.” This was evident in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and even Iran, where Tel Aviv resorted to preemptive strikes in order to curb potential threats. From here, Israel’s turning if the Egyptian border into a closed military zone serves the aforementioned very purpose. However, Cairo has long denied any involvement in smuggling.

Israeli fears of Egypt’s military buildup

Smuggling is not the only contentious issue facing Israel. The latter has also grown suspicious regarding Egypt’s notable military buildup.

Ishaq Faserlov, Israel’s minister for the Negev and Galilee and a member of the security cabinet, called for an emergency meeting concerning what he believed are “increasing security violations on the border with Egypt and the growing military strength of the Egyptian army.” He sent an alarming letter to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that there was “a steady trend of broad military build-up by the Egyptian army, including major investments in infrastructure, combat systems and command and control capabilities.”

Such claims, rhetorics and policies would exacerbate tensions instead of securing peace and stability in a region long suffering from continuous wars and perils.