The US has said that it approved a possible weapons sale to Cairo despite differences between the two sides on Washington’s proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt.
The State Department on Tuesday announced in two separate statements that it approved two arms sales to Egypt in a move aimed at strengthening Cairo’s defense capabilities and reinforcing bilateral military ties.
The arms deal came one day after US President Donald Trump called for transferring all Palestinians from Gaza so the United States could take over the devastated territory and rebuild it for others. In his comments Tuesday alongside visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said Palestinians from Gaza should be resettled in lands in Egypt, Jordan or elsewhere.
Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US and Egypt share multiple interests and that their military and security cooperation is not affected by the rise and fall of political stances.
On Tuesday, the State Department said the first arms deal includes a $625 million modernization package for Egypt’s fleet of Fast Missile Craft (FMC). It will integrate advanced radar, electronic warfare, and surveillance technologies to improve situational awareness and threat response.
The second deal includes the sale of Northrop Grumman’s AN/TPS-78 long-range radar systems, which will bolster Egypt’s air defense capabilities. The package also provides cryptographic equipment, GPS systems, spare parts, and personnel training.
According to Egyptian military expert, Major General Staff Officer Dr. Samir Farag, the new US arms deal “reflects the US administration’s eagerness to strengthen relations with Cairo.”
Last December, the State Department informed Congress that it had approved the sale of $4.69 billion worth of equipment for 555 US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks operated by Egypt, along with $630m in Hellfire air-to-surface missiles and $30 million in precision-guided munitions.
Although Egypt anticipates positions from the Trump administration concerning the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, Farag assured that US-Egyptian relations and Washington’s support for Cairo remain stable so far.
He said both sides are keen to keep strategic relations unharmed, adding that some US institutions provide positive support to Egypt, especially at the security and military levels.
Last Saturday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received a phone call from Trump. Egypt said the two leaders had a positive dialogue that stressed the importance of fully implementing the first and second phases of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Cairo and Washington are continually coordinating to implement the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
Farag believes that Trump’s plan to assume control of Gaza and forcibly displace Palestinians constitute a new and different scenario for the situation in the Strip.
“Egypt is anticipating the outcome of this plan,” he said.
Mac Sharqawi, an American political analyst, said the US-Egyptian military and security relations are not affected by the rise and fall of political relations between the two countries.
“The close and stable cooperation between the Egyptian and US defense ministries is not much affected by political stances,” he said.
Sharqawi told Asharq Al-Awsat that these relations are governed by a set of multiple interests.
He said Washington recognizes the importance of Cairo as an important element for stability in the region.
This, he said, is demonstrated by the US eagerness to provide full military assistance to Egypt and to hold “regularly joint military exercises twice a year.”
