After Assault, Israel Blames Egypt on Border Security
The deadly cross border-attack on the Sinai peninsula late Sunday is night is testing the ties between the newly-elected Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the Israeli government. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Egypt the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 13 to 15 Egyptian soldiers, should serve as a "wake-up call" for Egypt to strengthen its border security. Meanwhile, Egypt labeled the Islamist gunmen "infidels" and vowed to crack down on the desert peninsula. According to the latest reports, the incident transpired like this: Equipped with explosives and automatic weapons, eight assailants stormed a checkpoint, killed several Egyptian guards, stole two vehicles and broke through a security fence into Israel. At that point, the assailants were quickly spotted by Israeli officials, bombed by an Israeli fighter jet and killed. Here's what's unfolding from the aftermath of the attack.
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Israel blames Egypt Addressing a parliamentary committee, Barak complained about the unraveling security situation in the Sinai, which he said eroded following the overthrow of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Reuters' Allyn Fisher-Ilan reports. "Perhaps it will also be a proper wake-up call to the Egyptians to take matters in hand on their side (of the border), in a firmer way," he said. Having the peninsula demilitarized is the key condition of the historic 1979 peace deal between Egypt and Israel but the area has become increasingly lawless with "Bedouin bandits, jihadists and Palestinian militants from next-door Gaza ... tearing at already frayed relations between Egypt and Israel," notes Fisher-Ilan.
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Egypt responds The AP's Ilana Curiel reports that Morsi has initiated a crackdown, sending at least two helicopter gunships to the Sinai to hunt for more of the jihadists. Additionally, officials said more aircrafts were expected to arrive in the town of El-Arish to assit. A report by Al-Ahram says Egyptian ground forces have accompanied the army helicopters to join the manhunt. "The forces have surrounded Rafah to prevent the suspects from escaping," according to the report. "An Egyptian military helicopter hit a large number of tunnels that lead to Gaza. The army has also confiscated vehicles that were missing their license plates and arrested numerous suspects in Sinai."
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Hamas sends mixed messages Israel blamed the attacks on Hamas, even though the group denied involvement in the attacks. Still, Hamas leaders sent mixed messages about the origins of the attacks, the AP's Ashraf Sweilam reports. "
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Gaza's deputy prime minister, Mohammed Awad of the ruling Hamas movement, said militants from the territory were "not involved in this awful crime." But a leading Hamas member, Mohammed Zahar, undercut that denial, telling Al-Jazeera TV that he asked Egypt to provide the names of possible suspects from Gaza so that "we will immediately bring them to justice."
Gaza's deputy prime minister, Mohammed Awad of the ruling Hamas movement, said militants from the territory were "not involved in this awful crime." But a leading Hamas member, Mohammed Zahar, undercut that denial, telling Al-Jazeera TV that he asked Egypt to provide the names of possible suspects from Gaza so that "we will immediately bring them to justice."
The attack could harm Hamas' efforts to persuade Morsi to ease restrictions at the crossing. Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and had hoped that Morsi, a fellow member of the region-wide movement, would be sympathetic to its requests. But he has moved cautiously, in part because of concerns about an influx of militants from Gaza.
Israel had intelligence of the attack It appears that Israel's intelligence officials were anticipating the attack, according to statements from Israel's military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai. The AP reports: "He said that Israeli intelligence services had reports of impending infiltration and sent aircraft to strike as the militants broke through. 'We were prepared for it, so there was a hit,' he said. He said the military 'averted a major attack on southern Israel.'"
