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Egyptian Military Officials Cancel Meetings with Israeli Counterparts

Egyptian army soldiers at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza at the beginning of May (German News Agency)
Egyptian army soldiers at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza at the beginning of May (German News Agency)
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Egyptian Military Officials Cancel Meetings with Israeli Counterparts

Egyptian army soldiers at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza at the beginning of May (German News Agency)
Egyptian army soldiers at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza at the beginning of May (German News Agency)

Egyptian military officials canceled scheduled meetings with their Israeli counterparts, without previous notice, an Israeli source told the Israeli i24 channel on Tuesday.
This came in the wake of Israel's military escalation in eastern Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli sources said that the sudden cancellation indicates the deepening diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
Egypt had repeatedly warned Israel against attacking Rafah, saying it would affect Egyptian national security. But the Israeli army penetrated east of Rafah last week and took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing.
In response, Cairo declared its support for the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), on charges of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The cancellation of the military meetings angered the Israeli side, given the necessary cooperation between the two countries in the Sinai Peninsula.
Although no official in Egypt spoke explicitly about the possibility of suspending or canceling the peace agreement, Israel monitored threats from media figures and researchers close to the decision-making center in Cairo.
Ofir Winter, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, said that Egypt’s announcement of its support to the petition submitted by South Africa against Israel before the ICJ in The Hague was an escalation in the tension that has recently been observed between the two countries since the start of the limited army incursion into Rafah.
He added that the Egyptian move aims to increase international pressure on Israel to prevent it from expanding the operation in Rafah, and to warn that the continuation of the operation will affect the relations between the two countries.
Winter noted that in recent days, he has heard threats from media professionals and researchers close to the regime in Cairo, to harm relations between the two countries to the point of suspending or canceling the peace agreement.
He stressed that Egypt will lose a lot if it withdraws from the peace agreement, adding that the threats - even if they are only rhetorical - may create a dangerous dynamic in a sensitive period.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.