Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS) The Sinai Peninsula has become a safe haven for terrorists and jihadist activity in recent years. Despite considerable efforts by Egyptian authorities, not only have the terrorists not been defeated, but the threat they pose has steadily grown.
According to revelations in The New York Times, for over two years Israeli drones, helicopters and jets waged a covert campaign against terrorist groups in Sinai, consisting of over 100 airstrikes on Egyptian soil—sometimes one attack a week—under the approval of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Israel’s covert campaign in Sinai benefited both sides: The Egyptian army was finally able to create some positive momentum in its fight against the terrorist groups in Sinai, a fight that has persisted for five years already. Israel, meanwhile, was able to reduce the threat it faced along its southern border.
The New York Times described the countries’ collaboration in north Sinai as “the most dramatic evidence yet” of the geopolitical changes taking place in the region.
“Shared enemies like ISIS, Iran and political Islam have quietly brought the leaders of several Arab states into growing alignment with Israel—even as their officials and news media continue to vilify the Jewish state in public,” the report said.
