Report: Egypt warned Israel of ‘consequences’ amid Qatar-backed smear campaign by Netanyahu aides

According to a report by The Times Of Israel on Tuesday October 20, 2026, a senior Egyptian official warned an Israeli cabinet minister of potential “consequences” during a meeting in Jerusalem, amid an alleged campaign promoting Qatar while undermining Egypt in 2024 and 2025.

Channel 12 reported that the meeting occurred shortly after the campaign began, with the Egyptian representative accusing Israel of attempting to sideline Cairo in regional discussions.

“You’re trying to push us away from the table,” the Egyptian official told the Israeli minister, according to the report.

The unidentified Israeli cabinet member responded that Israel wanted to strengthen cooperation with Egypt. He reportedly pointed to areas of potential collaboration, including the Israel Defense Forces’ military operation in Rafah, which was underway at the time.

However, the Egyptian official expressed dissatisfaction with Israel’s conduct, arguing that Cairo was not receiving the respect it deserved. He warned that the perceived treatment of Egypt would have serious implications for relations between the two countries.

According to Channel 12, an internal security document prepared following the meeting recorded Egypt’s belief that Israel was circulating messages intended to damage its standing.

The report comes after Israel Hayom published allegations in August concerning three advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: Jonatan Urich, Yisrael Einhorn and Eli Feldstein.

The newspaper reported that the three men had allegedly leaked classified information to Qatar concerning Israeli concerns about Egypt while reportedly working for Doha. The information was subsequently passed to Israeli media outlets as part of the alleged campaign to improve Qatar’s image and undermine Egypt.

The allegations have raised questions about the relationship between Israeli political advisers, foreign interests and media coverage during a sensitive period for regional diplomacy.

CrisNews feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com