ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - February 13, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - February 13, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• Egyptian Officials Threaten to Suspend Peace Treaty with Israel
• Guyana Accuses Venezuela of Breaching Peace Agreement by Building Military Installations
• Netanyahu Presses Forward with Plans for Rafah Assault Despite International Opposition

Egyptian Officials Threaten to Suspend Peace Treaty with Israel

Reports indicate that some Egyptian and Western officials stated that Egypt may suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israel launched a ground offensive in Rafah city, which is located in the Gaza Strip along Egypt's border. The peace treaty between Israel and Egypt has remained in effect since 1979 and called for a demilitarized zone along the shared border to prevent hostilities, and both countries have largely remained allies since that time. However, the partnership is threatened by spillover effects from the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7. An end to the Israel-Egypt peace treaty could result in a large buildup of military forces on the boundary, cut off supply routes for both countries, and result in a large influx of Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip into the Sinai Peninsula.

Guyana Accuses Venezuela of Breaching Peace Agreement by Building Military Installations

Guyana publicly accused Venezuela of breaching a peace treaty by building military installations near the disputed Essequibo region of Guyana. Both sides agreed to settle their dispute without violence during internationally mediated talks in late December 2023. The agreement came weeks after Venezuela held a referendum that authorized an invasion of the region to reclaim it. Guyana produced satellite imagery that showed Venezuela building new infrastructure, including roads and facilities, near the border.

Netanyahu Presses Forward with Plans for Rafah Assault Despite International Opposition

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on February 10, 2024 that Israel will move forward with its plans to take on Palestinian militants in Rafah despite growing international pressure to refrain from launching a large-scale ground operation in an area currently housing hundreds of thousands of refugees. In this vein, United States President Joe Biden warned that Israel should not undertake the offensive without a “credible” plan for the evacuation and protection of civilians.