CAIRO- The Egyptian army is clearing buildings deemed a security threat at a distance of up to one km (0.6 miles) from the Gaza border, an army spokesman said on Sunday, accusing groups in the Hamas-run territory of mounting joint attacks with Sinai militants.
| It's almost as if the Egyptians know who their enemy is. And notice that they're knocking down buildings next to Gazoo without international protest... |
Ahmed Ali, the spokesman, said the move did not amount to a buffer zone which Hamas fears Egypt is creating along the border to further isolate Gaza, whose economy is propped up by smuggling through tunnels to Sinai.
| It's ... something else... |
He was speaking during a news conference in Cairo to present the army's progress since it stepped up operations against Islamist militants in Sinai last week. Ali said the army was "dealing" with any building deemed a security threat in a corridor stretching from 500 meters to one km from the Gaza frontier. He said houses concealing tunnels used for weapons smuggling were a threat to national security.
The army had destroyed 152 tunnels since June 30, he added. |