Ex-Unit 777 Commander Warns: Israeli Jets Attacking Egypt“Will Have No Place To Return”

(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Colonel Hatem Saber, former commander of Egypt's elite Unit 777, issued a blunt warning in a televised interview, stating that Israeli aircraft would“have no place to return” if they were to launch attacks against Egypt.

“If Israeli Air Forces attack Egypt, the planes that take off from Israel to strike will find no place to return to,” Saber declared.“And I mean what I say.”

His remarks came in the wake of Israel's recent airstrike in the Qatari capital, Doha, which targeted senior Hamas leaders. The attack has already sparked regional alarm, with fears of broader escalation spilling across the Middle East.

Saber, who once led one of the most specialized counterterrorism units in the Egyptian military, offered no further operational details, but his message was unusually direct. Analysts suggest his warning reflects wider concerns in Cairo about the risks of Israeli military operations expanding beyond their traditional theaters.

The Egyptian government and armed forces have not issued an official response to Saber's televised comments. Still, his intervention underscores heightened sensitivities, particularly after the Doha strike, which many observers view as a dangerous precedent in the region.

Egypt, a longstanding mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, has consistently emphasized the need to respect sovereignty and avoid actions that could destabilize the wider region. Saber's words, while expressed in a personal capacity, echo the broader sentiment that any threat to Egyptian security would be met with decisive force.

The timing of his statement is significant. Regional tensions are mounting not only due to the Israel–Hamas conflict but also because of fears that military confrontations could cross borders and drag other states into direct confrontation.

Military experts note that Saber's reputation as the former head of Unit 777 gives his remarks added weight. Unit 777 is among Egypt's most elite special operations forces, with a legacy of high-profile counterterrorism missions dating back to the late 1970s.

For now, Saber's warning stands as a stark reminder of Egypt's red lines at a time when regional security remains volatile. Whether it signals an emerging shift in tone or remains an isolated statement will depend on how the conflict and Israeli military operations unfold in the coming weeks.

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