Egyptian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Fathy Khalifa made a surprise visit to the Gaza border on Thursday to inspect security measures.
The visit came a day after a high-level Egyptian source accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of hindering Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap talks.
Khalifa emphasized the armed forces’ capability to defend the homeland’s borders.
The visit follows claims by Netanyahu about weapons smuggling through the Egypt-Gaza border, which Egypt denies.
The Philadelphi Corridor, a demilitarized area along Egypt’s border with Gaza, remains a contentious point in negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu insists on maintaining a military presence there, while Egypt rejects this.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant recently stated that the Israeli military withdrawal from the Corridor poses no security threat to Israel.
Mediation efforts by the US, Qatar, and Egypt have stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’ demands.
Since an October 7 Hamas attack, Israel has continued its offensive on Gaza, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding a cease-fire.
Over 40,800 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 94,300 injured, according to local health authorities.
The ongoing blockade has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine in Gaza.
Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.