Egypt ‘Will Not Be Impacted’ by Cancellation of Israeli Gas Deal, Says SIS Head

Head of Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS), Diaa Rashwan, said Egypt would not be significantly affected by the cancellation of the Israeli gas deal, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to undermine Egypt’s image through the issue, according to local media reports. In a TV interview, Rashwan described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats to shelve the multi-billion-dollar gas deal with Egypt as political pressure with no real effect. He added that Egypt has alternative energy and economic options that protect it from such threats. Rashwan directly challenged Netanyahu, saying: “If you have the courage, cancel the deal. The losses will fall on you, not Egypt,” stressing that Israel depends more on the agreement than Egypt does. He also dismissed Israeli claims about weapons or hostage smuggling through tunnels as false, calling them excuses to justify Israel’s push to control the Philadelphia corridor at the border. Rashwan said Netanyahu views Egypt as a major obstacle to his ambitions for a “Greater Israel.” He pointed out that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi had already made Egypt’s position clear after 7 October, stating that “forced displacement is a red line.