Egypt conducts live-fire military exercises near Israeli border

Egypt this week conducted live-fire military exercises in close proximity to its border with Israel amid tensions in the Middle East region.

The "Badr 2026 tactical manoeuvres" in the Sinai Peninsula featured army units, special forces, fighter jets, and tanks.

Egypt’s Minister of Defence, Ashraf Salem Zaher, oversaw the main phase of the drill which he says forms part of ongoing efforts to sustain combat readiness and operational efficiency.

He said that amid regional challenges, such exercises send a message of reassurance about the military’s constant readiness to defend Egypt in all strategic directions.

The drills were coordinated with Israel within the terms of the 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty which divides the Sinai into zones with strict limits on military deployments.

But they were portrayed in some Israeli media as part of a wider and more troubling agenda on the part of Egypt, with some people concerned about their proximity to the border.

The two countries have maintained what some observers describe as a “cold peace” since their 1979 treaty.