Ehud Barak wants a fence-off wall on Egypt-Israel border line

Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

Israel's defense minister wants a fence-off wall on Egypt-Israel border line

Sunday February 03, 2008 16:17 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies rami at imemc dot org
The Israeli occupation government defense minister, Ehud Barak, urged a cabinet meeting Sunday that a fence-off wall should be constructed along the Egypt-Israel border lines, mainly at the Nitsana and Elat areas.

Barak told the meeting that such a wall has become an imperative, given latest security warnings over potential infiltrations or attacks on Israelis and in light of General Security Service's (Shin Beit) assessment that the recent breaches in Gaza-Egypt border line will remain open.

"We must immediately begin the stage, which would include two sections near Nitzana and in the Eilat areas in order to deal with hostile ... activity and infiltrators ", the minister was quoted as saying.

Israeli media sources reported the southern command of the GSS ordered Israelis, who want to visit Sinai, to be accompanied by security convoy within pre-organized trips.

The sources added that the Israeli army had erected a buffer zone, ranging from 2 to 5 kilometers depth into Israeli territories on Egypt-border lines.

Recently, Egyptian media outlets revealed that the Egyptian security services rounded up dozens of Palestinians, who have been suspected to have smuggled weapons into Gaza or prepared to carry out attacks on Israelis in the Sinai peninsula.

Egyptian border security guards began Sunday morning sealing off the Gaza-Egypt border line in southern Gaza, preventing influx of Gazans into nearby Egypt.

On January, 23, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians flooded into the nearby Egyptian town of Al-Arish to bring essential supplies amidst a strict Israeli closure of the coastal territory, since the ruling Islamist Hamas has taken over control over there in June of last year.

Israel to maintain a state of alert on Egypt-Israel border lines

Saturday February 02, 2008 23:27 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies rami at imemc dot org
Israeli military decided Saturday to maintain a high security alert on Egypt-Gaza border line, in light of continued security warnings, Israeli media sources reported.

According to the Israeli army officer, in charge of the so-called southern command, a high alert will remain in effect on the Egyptian-Israeli border lines as well in Israeli areas, bordering Egypt, despite the fact that Egypt has sealed off all its borders with Gaza.

Voice of Israel radio station reported that the state of alert has been declared after a ' number of Palestinians have been reportedly infiltrated from Gaza into the Egyptian peninsula of Sinia'.

Israeli military has been concerned over possible Palestinian attacks on Israeli tourists in Sinai, the radio quoted security sources.

Israeli media sources reported today that the Egyptian authorities have recently detained in Sinai 14 Palestinians, while carrying explosive devices.

On January23, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians flooded into the Egyptian territories to bring in essential supplies, amidst a strict Israeli closure of the coastal region since June of last year, when the Islamist Hamas movement took over control over there.

Hamas sources announced today that starting from tomorrow, Sunday, the Hamas-led police forces will cooperate with the Egyptian border guards to seal off the Gaza-Egypt border line, preventing influx of Gazans in and out of the coastal territory..

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