For the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt is planning to send fighter planes and tanks into Sinai, changing the demilitarize status of the area, Egyptian military officials told the Reuters news agency.
The daily HaMevaser reports the new Egyptian leadership is taking this step in its escalated battle against terror cells seeking to establish a firm base in Sinai. The move follows this month’s terror attack in Sinai which left 16 Egyptian policemen dead as the terrorists then fled with armored vehicles and crossed into Israel to perpetrate an attack against Kerem Shalom area communities.
The battle to prevent terrorists from controlling the Sinai Peninsula is viewed as a litmus test regarding the effectiveness of the administration of newly-elected Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi. While Morsi has signaled his intentions to honor all agreements signed between his country and Israel, his deep-rooted connected with the Islamic Brotherhood has Israeli leaders concerned.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
2 Responses
Egypt did not re-miltarize the Sinai, the terrorists did. Egypt had no choice in the matter. In fact, it would not surprise me if they did this after consultations with the IDF.
#1 – Unfortunately, maybe by design the Egyptians have not been dong an effective job in stopping Al Qaeda and the Egyptian Bedouins from causing trouble and harm to Israel.