“Are we going to war?” a worried saleswoman in Cairo asks upon realizing she’s speaking to a journalist. The unsettling question—about the possibility of conflict between Egypt and Israel—has become an increasingly common refrain in conversations across the country.
These whispers of war reflect deepening anxieties among Egyptians, already grappling with successive economic crises and shaken by the destruction unfolding in Gaza and Lebanon. In recent weeks, tensions have escalated further due to a diplomatic standoff over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt. What was once quiet concern has now turned into heated debate.
The same question—along with increasingly alarming answers—has echoed across Egyptian, Arab, and Israeli media. An Israeli website published an AI-generated scenario depicting an attack that destroys Egypt’s strategic High Dam, while an Egyptian YouTuber shared an AI-generated video of a strike on Israel’s nuclear reactor. On social media, users trade accusations and threats, while TV debates dissect what many see as signs of escalating tensions and possible war.
According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, this growing “war sentiment” is fueled by misleading information, particularly from right-wing media in Israel. The report debunked several viral claims suggesting an Egyptian military buildup at the border.
Amos Harel, a defense analyst for Haaretz, questioned whether this narrative is being deliberately orchestrated or is spreading organically. However, he noted that Israel’s far-right may have an incentive to “stir the pot regarding Egypt” as a distraction from mounting domestic criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Families of hostages held in Gaza have accused Netanyahu of stalling on a deal to secure their release to appease hardliners in his government—an allegation he denies. Meanwhile, Egypt and other mediators are working to salvage a fragile ceasefire that took effect in January and now hangs in the balance.
