Consternation in Cairo after video shows Israeli warship using Suez Canal

A video apparently showing an Israeli warship passing through Egypt's Suez Canal with Egyptian and Israeli flags has sparked anger among Egyptians, according to a report in the New Arab. On Sunday, journalists and activists protested outside Cairo's Journalists' Syndicate, condemning the passage as a “disgraceful and provocative” act, especially during Israel’s ongoing Gaza offensive, which has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths. Protesters criticized the Egyptian government’s stance on Israel, calling it complicit.

In response to the outcry, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority cited the 1888 Constantinople Convention, which permits ships of any nation to use the canal in times of peace and war, maintaining neutrality. However, some international law experts argue that Egypt, is not bound by the convention because it was not a sovereign country at the time of signing, and can refuse to grant passage to  ships that threaten national security.

Despite Egypt’s formal peace with Israel since the 1970s, public sentiment reportedly remains strongly opposed to normalization, further inflamed by recent the conflict in Gaza.