יום שלישי, י״ח תשרי תשפ״זTuesday, September 29, 2026
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By Daniel Pipes
Ahmed Shafiq, the former air force commander and former president Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, actually won the presidential race by a narrow margin.
Post-Mursi Egypt accuses Hamas of responsibility for the terrorist chaos in Sinai, and not without good cause.
By JTA
Egypt closed the border between Sinai and Gaza Thursday as clashes between its government security forces and protesters backing deposed President Mohamed Morsi continued for a second day. The Rafiah crossing was closed “indefinitely,” the French news agency AFP reported Thursday, citing an unnamed Egyptian security official. The crossing was closed due to fears of […]
By Shalom Bear
In the past month, Egypt has arrested 90 people in the Sinai, 7 of them Palestinian Authority Arabs. Egypt has also killed 60 armed people in the Sinai, of which 30 were Palestinian Authority Arabs. In addition, Egypt destroyed 38 underground fuel tanks, according to EgyptIndependent.com. 28 of the tanks stored 634,000 liters of diesel […]
At least 6 Egyptians were killed and 11 injured in a series of attacks in the Sinai overnight. Among the dead are two Egyptian soldiers, 2 policemen, and 2 citizens. Overall there were 10 overnight attacks that hit police stations, and military outposts in El Arish and Rafiach.
Israel, for a change, can sit back, enjoy the show and watch Egypt do what the world would not let the IDF do – massive destruction of Hamas smuggling tunnels and all-out war against terror in the Sinai. Israel, for a change, can sit back, enjoy the show and watch Egypt do what the world would not let the IDF do – massive destruction of Hamas smuggling tunnels and all-out war against terror in the Sinai. The Egyptian military demolished hundreds of smuggling tunnels in and out of Hamas-controlled Gaza Sunday and is preparing for an all-our onslaught of Hamas, Al Qaeda and other terrorists in the Sinai, Egyptian media reported. The Egyptian offensive is a political and military shock to Hamas, with reverberations in Ramallah and Washington, on the eve of yet another attempt by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to re-ignite the “peace process.” “The reduction in smuggling will make it difficult for Hamas to maintain the level of its revenues, and therefore it will be hard pressed to contain the protests against its rule,” according to the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS). “It will also be difficult to infiltrate weapons into Gaza, mainly enhanced rockets and surface-to-surface missiles.” The Egyptian Aswat Masriya media outlet reported that 805 tunnels along the smuggling route, centered in the border city of Rafiah, were destroyed. Most of the tunnels have been used to smuggle fuel into Gaza. The Egyptian army will also close the Rafiah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip “indefinitely,” an official source told Egyptian newspaper al-Masry al-Youm. It placed a severe siege on Hamas but without a peep from the international community, which still condemns Israel for the maritime embargo that is aimed at preventing the import of terrorists and weapons from the sea. Terrorists in Rafiah targeted a military checkpoint Saturday, but no casualties were reported, and Egypt opened the Rafiah border crossing for four hours Saturday to allow humanitarian cases to cross the border. The tunnels have been a key route for terrorists to travel freely back and forth to the Sinai Peninsula and establish terrorist outposts aimed at staking out bases for attack on Egyptian tourist areas, such as El Arish, as well as urban areas. The army killed at least five terrorists on Friday, but Egyptian media reported a larger-scale offensive is in the works after an attempted assassination of Second Field Army commander Maj. Gen. Ahmed Wasfy on Wednesday. Egypt is using heavy arms and warplanes, maneuvers that are prohibited under the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty of 1979 without Israel’s approval. With the unstable and radical anti-Israel Muslim Brotherhood out of power, thanks to the military “impeachment” or coup – take your pick – Israel is not blocking any offense, “Security sources confirmed that Israel does not mind that the Egyptian forces use heavy artillery and warplanes during the operation which is expected to start very soon” military sources confirmed to the official television on Saturday. Official added, “The army had decided to cleanse the Sinai of armed gangs and terrorists "The operation will continue until it reaches its objectives, which are not only military but also aim to develop the Sinai.” Meanwhile, state media have reported Friday that two Egyptian Apache helicopters hovered over olive groves south of El-Arish before they fired shells at bunkers of Jihadist gunmen who were preparing to attack army checkpoints. The Egyptian Air Force on Saturday sent in two Apache helicopters to gun down jihadists after it received intelligence information that they were hiding in olive groves and preparing to attack military checkpoints. On Friday, an Egyptian helicopter was seen in the skies over Gaza for the first time since the Six-Day War in 1967. The Hamas terrorist organization is an offspring of the Muslim Brotherhood and therefore is a natural enemy of the military that ousted Mohammed Morsi two weeks ago. Hams has denied Egyptian military statements that its soldiers jailed 32 Hamas terrorists and arrested dozens others in the Sinai Peninsula last week. Hamas figuratively shot itself in the head last August when it mounted a severe attack on the Egyptian army, killing 16 soldiers near Rafiah in a multi-pronged attack that was intended to continue into Israel but was foiled at the last minute by the IDF. Ever since, Hamas has been an undeclared enemy, and even the Morsi regime was suspicious of it. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority also is benefiting from Hamas’ miseries but is suppressing its joy because Hamas has widespread support among Arabs in Judea and Samaria who are fed up with chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Any moves by the Secretary of State Kerry to win some kind of a forum between Israeli and Palestinian Authority are a useless exercise without the inclusion of Gaza. Another fallout of the offensive against Hamas might be negative for Israel in the near-term. “The motivation of Hamas and jihadi elements from Sinai to launch attacks against Israel is increasing,” INSS thinks.
Hamas is on the run. Virtually boycotted by Abbas, hated by Assad and distrusted by Iran and a diagnosed by Israel as a cancer, Egypt reportedly has killed 30 Hamas terrorists in the Sinai.
Israeli soldiers on Tuesday found fragments of a Grad missile that was fired on the city from the Sinai Peninsula last Thursday, when residents heard at least two explosions. The military went on high alert over the weekend because of the violence in Egypt and clashes in the Sinai.
The political violence is turning into a religious war - if it wasn't one already/
By Shalom Bear
At least one Egyptian soldier was killed and two wounded; tension before Friday prayers in the mosques, mass pro-Morsi rallies anticipated.
Security forces are checking the source of three loud explosion that were heard throughout the entire city of Eilat. Initial reports now say that 2 rockets were apparently launched at Eilat from the Sinai and landed in open areas outside the city. There are no reports of damage or injury, and security forces are looking […]
The Israeli and Egyptian armies and the Hamas regime in Gaza are on high alert at Sinai and Gaza borders and near smuggling tunnels, according to eyewitnesses quoted by the Egyptian Independent. Police stations, the airport at El Arish, the Kerem Shalom crossing, jails and entry points are under heavy security.
The IDF's assessment, hardly surprising and certainly not for the first time, is that the attack on Eilat was made from the nearby Sinai Peninsula.
By Shalom Bear
Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh left Gaza to Egypt on Saturday with a delegation of 21 senior Hamas members. Haniyeh is meeting with senior Egyptian security personnel. The Hamas delegation are trying to improve relations with Egypt, which have been on a down-slide ever since the terror attacks began in the Sinai which many suspect are […]
By Barry Rubin
The Egyptian regime doesn't want a war or even a high level of conflict at this time.
Lawlessness in the Sinai is growing and the danger of terrorists taking control is huge.
Today's news indicates that Japan is pulling its troops out of the UN Observer force in the Golan Heights.
Al Arabiya reports that a large explosion destroyed part of an Egyptian intelligence building. The building is located in Rafah, near the Gaza border, in Egyptian controlled Sinai. There's no additional information available yet.
Egyptian military sources confirmed on Wednesday that missiles were launched from the northern Sinai town of Rafah at the Israeli kibbutz Kerem Shalom, Egypt Independent reported. Israel and Egypt will be forming a joint military committee at Israel's request to examine the circumstances surrounding the missile launch, the sources said. Israel's Channel 10 reported that […]
By J. E. Dyer
Attacks from Gaza on Israel have ramped up significantly in the last several days. An Israeli patrol was hit by what was thought to be a roadside bomb on Tuesday (three were wounded), near the border fence with Gaza. On Saturday, terrorists in Gaza fired an anti-tank missile at an Israeli jeep with four infantrymen in it, as the patrol operated in the area of the roadside bomb attack. The four soldiers were wounded, one severely. More than 80 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel since the attack on the jeep on Saturday, 10 November. At least three Israeli civilians were injured in the rocket attacks. Geography is beginning to rear its head again, as Israel has also sustained incursions into the Golan from Syria in recent days.
The Cairo Administrative Court on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, calling for the annulment of the 1978 Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel.
A striking photo essay from EgyptSource focuses on the stark realities of Sinai and the multiple challenges it poses to the Egyptians. EgyptSource, a project of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East "follows Egypt’s transition and provides a platform for Egyptian perspectives on the major issues – economic, political, legal, religious and human rights – that are at stake in the post-Mubarak era..."
Gunmen opened fire in a children's park in south Sinai on Saturday night, wounding six, officials told the Ma'an news agency.
IDF on high alert along Egyptian border as reports of a new attack on the Egyptian military surface.
Many are saying that this year will be momentous. They say that this will be the year when the decision whether to attack Iran will be made, that this will be a decisive year in the political arena, and that this year will be an unforgettable one – engraved in history.
In events being ignored not only by the Egyptian authorities, but also by the mainstream media and human rights organizations in the West, Muslim terrorists have in recent weeks attacked Christian families and forced them out of their homes and businesses in the Sinai town of Rafah. The terrorists have threatened to pursue their jihad against Christians until all of them leave the Sinai.
Despite the deteriorating security situation along the Egyptian-Israeli border, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has rejected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s request to reconsider the terms of the 1979 Camp David Accords. Morsi wants a substantial increase in the number of Egyptian tanks and armored divisions to patrol what has seemingly become the lawless Sinai Peninsula.
Following the death of Cpl. Netanel Yahalomi in a gunbattle on the Israel-Egypt border on Friday, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Benny Gantz warned that the perimeter would continue to be a security problem for Israel.
The Egyptian security services announced high alert on Wednesday in the Sinai, in light of information that terrorists are planning to attack Egyptian soldiers stationed in the peninsula. Egyptian intelligence has warned of an "unprecedented assault" which the Global Jihad intends to launch in the next 48 hours against the security headquarters in the Sinai. […]
By Tom Nisani and Aryeh Savir, Tazpit News Agency
The rocket attacks from Gaza, the terrorist attack in Sinai which was stopped by the IDF from coming into Israel, all stem from the change in the balance of power since Mubarak's ouster. Since then, not only have terror groups in Gaza been strengthened, but the Sinai has become a training and smuggling base for Gaza terror organizations and others, including Hezbollah, according to reports the IDF has been receiving since February 2011. The Egyptians, under Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, have refused to take responsibility for their sovereign territory.
Over the past few weeks, the Israeli counter terrorism command approached national security forces in Cyprus, Greece, Bulgaria, and Thailand, requesting that they increase both the overt overt security for Israeli tourists who will be traveling to these countries during the Tishrei holiday period (Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah) when hundreds of thousands of Israelis are expected to visit abroad.
Reuters reports that Egypt plans to replace the tanks it embedded into the Sinai with armored personnel carriers.
The Egyptian army has slowed down its all-out attack on terrorist enclaves in the Sinai, several weeks after its initial, aggressive spurt on August 5. The terrorist culprits who murdered 15 Egyptian Border Guards remain at large, and the lack of progress appears rooted in political uncertainty back in Cairo. Here's one unexpected aspect of what was touted as a jihad against the murderers: the Egyptian government is going through unofficial channels, employing negotiators to talk to the Sinai terrorists. This has enraged the secular law and order types at home.
According to the Egyptian newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Youm, due to negotiations between Egypt and jihadists groups, "Operation Eagle" has been halted, at least temporarily.
The Egyptians have never proven themselves to be particularly open or honest in their dealings with Israel. At least four wars have been fought between our countries. Peace is a fragile thing that must be nurtured. It must be built on honest dealings and trust. Moving tanks and anti-aircraft missiles violates not only the agreement, but the trust as well.
By Amos Harel
Israel had previously ignored, or sometimes secretly approved, Egyptian violations of the treaty. These always concerned deploying more battalions than agreed, but only for a short period of time, in order to fight the terrorist groups. This time, Cairo is aiming for a more serious goal.
As it turns out, the terrorist gunmen who killed sixteen Egyptian border guards some two weeks ago in northern Sinai presented a gift to the new Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi.
The fact is the U.S. and Israel have been somewhere between sanguine and cautiously happy regarding increased Egyptian concern about jihadists in the Sinai, and have accepted an Egyptian buildup that includes aircraft and helicopter gunships. Israel Radio reported that the deployment includes anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles near the border.
After Egypt has dispatched tanks into the northern Sinai area over the past few weeks, as part of its attempt to combat Islamist terror cells in the peninsula, the Prime Minister’s office has decided that this must stop. Using the White House, Netanyahu sent a sharp message to Cairo to withdraw the tanks immediately.
Mohamed Gadallah, legal adviser to President Mohamed Morsi, told Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Youm that the amendment being considered would seek to reintroduce full Egyptian sovereignty and control over the Sinai peninsula.
I’ve been wavering back and forth on this, but more and more people I’ve proposed this theory to are beginning to say that there might be something to it. Last week’s Sinai attack is still a mystery. A bunch of Palestinian terrorists kill the soldiers of a Muslim Brotherhood run country, all to get 2 […]
The Egyptians are finally learning that terrorism is a double-edged sword, and that those who approve of terror activities will one day find themselves targeted by the same terrorists.
The circumstances that were created after the murder of the Egyptian soldiers and the failure of the terror act against Israel proves the truth of the saying: "Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan." We can only imagine how great would be the cries of joy in Gaza if 18 Israeli soldiers had been killed, heaven forbid, instead of Egyptians.
For years the Egyptians have been trying to erode the Sinai force restrictions set in the peace treaty they signed with Israel. Force restrictions that were a necessary condition for Israel agreeing to restore the Sinai to Egyptian control. The Egyptians see the force restrictions as impinging on their sovereignty. Israel always considered the force restrictions as critical for the Jewish State’s national security.
In addition to the 60 tanks, 400 armored vehicles, 6 gunships and more, Egypt has now introduced mid-range rocket launchers into the Sinai.
If Muslim fanatics cannot tolerate moderate and secular Muslims, why should they be expected to accept those who belong to other faiths?
Channel 2 reports that the Israel's cabinet approved the entry of 6 Gunships (helicopters) in the Sinai. The vote to allow them in was done hastily over the telephone, but not fast enough, as Egypt had already sent them the gunships in without waiting for Israeli approval. Egypt also sent in 60 tanks and 400 […]
By Moshe Herman
Yishai and Malkah talk about the ultra-orthdox visiting Ammunition Hill, attacks by terrorists from the Sinai, and the recent rover landing on Mars.
JERUSALEM – Iranian-trained Islamic terrorists, who on Sunday fired their way through a border crossing along the Gaza-Egyptian-Israeli frontier with a commandeered explosives-laden Egyptian armored carrier, were heading toward Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, Israeli military sources said. That was when Israeli Bedouin border soldiers and an Israel Air Force drone attacked the vehicle and killed the terrorists.
The Islamic movement to which newly-elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi belongs, released a statement on Monday claiming the Sinai border attack that left 16 Egyptian security officers dead “could be attributed to the Mossad," according to Egyptian daily Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Egypt deploys helicopter gunships to the Sinai peninsula after President Mohamed Mursi directed the military to take “complete control” of the Sinai. Israel Defense Minister Ehud barak: "I hope that this will be a wakeup call for Egypt regarding the necessity to be sharp and efficient on their side."
“Even before investigations of the attack are complete, I estimate we prevented a large-scale disaster, an extremely complex attack by terrorists operating between Sinai and the Gaza Strip," said Lt. Gen. Gantz.
Machtesh Ramon is considered by some to be the most exquisite site on the planet. Located south of Beersheba in the Central Negev, not only is Machtesh Ramon the most spectacular geological sight in Eretz Yisrael, it contains within it some unique geological formations that are not found anywhere else on earth.
The Ministry of the Interior reports a dramatic drop in the number of illegal infiltrators crossing into Israel from the Sinai.
During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Israel, his Israeli counterpart, Shimon Peres, emitted the following pearl of wisdom: “The peace treaty with Egypt saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides.”
In a briefing before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Maj.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi said that the election of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi as President of Egypt has brought political Islam to the forefront of politics in the Arab world, but predicted that the Egyptian military would continue to serve as a strong restraint. As a result, he doubted that Egypt would be allowed to drift into Iran's orbit.
The past decade has shown that the al-Qaeda network thrives in failed states, setting down roots in areas where central governments no longer exercise a clear monopoly of arms or jurisdiction. From Pakistan to Iraq to Mali, adherents of the global jihadi movement are seeking a safe haven to set up training camps, plot terror attacks, and spread their fundamentalist ideology.
By Moshe Herman
Yishai is joined by Yaakov Katz, military correspondent for the Jerusalem Post. Together, they talk about the current situation in the Sinai and potential and creative solutions in order to bring peace and stability back to the area.
JERUSALEM – After terror groups operating from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula launched Grad missiles into the Southern Negev’s Mitzpeh Ramon and Uvda regions last weekend and murdered an Israeli Arab construction worker from Haifa on Monday, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak took the unusual step of ordering IDF tank units to deploy along portions of Israel’s southern border with Egypt.
Terrorist infiltrated from Egypt and opened fire with guns, explosives and an RPG against Israeli contractors working on the border fence. 1 Israeli and 2 terrorists were killed in the ensuing gunfight. Communities in the South were in lockdown for 5 hours.
This is not my story at all. But when I heard it from Avigayil Madmoni, formerly Gin Lin Lug, a Chinese convert, I gained a new view of what Torah means to me. I know for sure, as anyone who has ever met this very charming, sincere, lovable young woman will agree with me, that Avigayil is my sister like any other Jew and that she surely stood at Har Sinai -- together with my ancestors and the souls of their descendants, namely me and all the Jews alive today, and who have ever lived, since the giving of the Torah.
Ma'an reports than Egyptian authorities have discovered the body of an army officer who had been shot dead in the northern Sinai late Monday. Military officials identified the victim as 35-year-old officer Abdullah Abdul-Minem. His body was found with a bullet wound in the head in Sheikh Zuweid city near El-Arish. A second officer was […]
Despite major concerns being raised about the future of peace between Egypt and Israel in the wake of Egypt’s decision to terminate the a contract to provide natural gas to the Jewish State, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday that he hopes the dispute will be solved in a business environment, and that relations between the two countries will return to normal.
It was thirty years ago, in April 1982, that uniformed soldiers pledged to defend Israel and its citizens were given the order to uproot and destroy the Jewish community of Yamit in northern Sinai. And while it may have brought us three decades of a cold peace with Egypt, conceding the Sinai will likely prove to have been a colossal mistake.
During Pesach we experience liberation from slavery, followed by the dramatic encounter with Pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea. Then we trek through the desert to the great moment at Har Sinai.
The Egyptian pipeline carrying gas to Israel and Jordan was hit by an explosion on Monday for 14th time since last spring's uprising against President Hosni Mubarak began. Reuters reports that the blast took place in the northern Sinai, at the town of El-Arish. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The pipeline has […]
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz said the rocket fire that hit the city of Eilat Wednesday night was "an extremely severe act of hostility." Head of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Kochavi confirmed that "more than ten terror bases in Sinai were revealed and dismantled over the past few months." After the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s, the rule of law has collapsed in much of Sinai, leaving a vacuum where Islamist militant groups are thriving.
I have been sharing personal testimonies on the subject of hashgachah pratis, chosen from a plethora of letters that have reached my desk. Each of these stories reflects a different challenge ranging from problems of health, parnassah, shidduchim and loss of dear ones (some of which I have yet to publish). These difficulties, to one extent or another, at one time or another, have challenged all of us.
Most people have difficulty discerning Hashem's call since His messages are usually hidden behind many veils. On occasion however, hashgachah pratis – Divine providence – is so clear and obvious that even a blind man has to see it, a deaf man has to hear it.
Once again, the Egyptian oil pipeline to Israel in the Sinai was blown up.
Pipeline has been attacked at least a dozen times since Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak was deposed in February 2011.
Tu B’Shevat is not just “another day.” It’s the Rosh Hashanah for trees, one of four roshei hashanah that occur in the Jewish calendar year (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1).
Incident comes amid growing lawlessness and discontent among Sinai Bedouin
I have always been proud of the Jewish people, even when I wasn’t Jewish. I’m a convert. I looked up to the Jews, to their strength in times of trial, to their faith when giving up all hope would have been more practical.
September 25, 2026 
