| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Dupe URL: Egypt mulling buffer zone on Gaza border |
| 2011-09-01 |
| Egyptian military officials finalizing plan for combating smuggling from Sinai; last protesters dispersed from Israeli Embassy in Cairo. Egypt is considering establishing a 5km.-deep buffer zone along its border with the Gaza Strip, the Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported Sunday, quoting high-level Egyptian security sources. Egyptian military officials are finalizing a plan to combat smuggling from the Sinai Peninsula into the strip, the report said, adding that heavy excavation equipment had already been moved into the border town of Rafah. The equipment is capable of destroying tunnels up to 20 meters below surface level. Israel Radio reported this week that EgyptÂ’s army is planning to destroy all tunnels within 14 km. of the border. Another high-level army source told the Egyptian daily that Cairo is studying the possibility of modifying the peace treaty with Israel regarding the number of Egyptian troops allowed in Sinai. An Israeli source, however, told the AFP news agency that Egypt has submitted no such request. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at SundayÂ’s cabinet meeting that Israel would consider a request to modify troop levels, but that he sees no reason for the peace treaty to be substantially modified otherwise. On Saturday, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would not likely approve additional Egyptian troops in eastern Sinai, despite reports in The Economist that he had said it is in IsraelÂ’s interest to do so to help bring order to the restive area. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |