Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Fathy Khalifa made a surprise visit on Thursday to inspect security measures along his country’s border with the Gaza Strip.
This inspection comes amid rising tensions and ongoing conflicts in the region.
During the visit, Khalifa reiterated Egypt’s commitment to defending its borders.
“The armed forces are capable of defending the homeland’s borders, a generation after another,” he said, according to a statement released by the Egyptian military.
However, no additional details regarding the security situation were provided.
The visit followed accusations by a high-level Egyptian source, blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for obstructing Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap negotiations.
The source, speaking to Al-Qahera News Channel, accused Netanyahu of falsely claiming that weapons were being smuggled through the Egypt-Gaza border.
Netanyahu’s claims have been part of a broader narrative that links the smuggling of weapons through the Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized zone along the Gaza border, with Hamas’ ability to rearm.
Egypt has firmly rejected these accusations, stating that Israel is using such claims to deflect from its failures in Gaza.
