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Defense minister Amir Peretz denied reports Sunday that Egyptian forces had been sent out to reinforce the Egypt-Gaza border. (AP file)
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| By israelinsider staff and partners October 29, 2006 |
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Defense minister Amir Peretz denied reports Sunday that Egyptian forces had been sent out to reinforce the Egypt-Gaza border.
Peretz said in a cabinet meeting Sunday, "More than 750 Border Guard police are stationed in the area. There are no additional people."
News sources had reported earlier that about 5,000 Egyptian state security police had fanned out near the Egypt-Gaza border to protect Egyptians living in the area after reports that Israel might drop "smart bombs" on suspected smuggling tunnels, officials said Sunday.
The reports of the deployment first emerged late Saturday and were confirmed early Sunday by Egypt's official Middle East News Agency.
"The security forces have deployed along the entire border .. following threats by Israel .. to drop 'smart' bombs in the Philadelphi Corridor," the news agency said. "The security deployment was to protect Egyptians living in the border area." It gave no number of the police, but other officials said it was roughly 5,000.
Initial reports had indicated the deploying forces were Egyptian army soldiers, but officials stressed Sunday that was not the case, and the forces consisted of state security police, a paramilitary-like force often used in Egypt to maintain civil order.
In response to reports that Egypt was strengthening its border control, a senior Israeli security official told the Jerusalem Post that, "We are more than happy if Egypt exercises its sovereignty and prevents smuggling under the Philadelphi Route.
"Israel is in favor of coordination and is looking forward to Egypt taking more serious actions into illegal smuggling into Gaza," the official continued.
According to the Jerusalem Post, "with respect to the plan to use precision-guided 'smart bombs' to destroy the smuggling tunnels, [the offical] said that such a plan had not been approved or even presented as of yet to Defense Minister Amir Peretz.
Last week, Israel said it had uncovered 15 tunnels burrowed under the Egypt-Gaza border, where militants are suspected of smuggling weapons and other contraband to use in attacks against Israel.
The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported Friday that Israel planned to use precision-guided weapons to destroy the tunnels.
The Egyptian interior ministry official said he was aware of the Maariv report about possible bombings, and that Egyptian authorities had their own intelligence information to verify it.
In his cabinet meeting Peretz also spoke about IDF operations in the south following their Khan Younis withrawel.
"We will exercise judgment regarding large scale offensive actions in the Gaza Strip, although we will operate wherever is needed."
Peretz continued, noting the rising tensions between Hamas and Fatah. "Both sides are preparing for an acceleration of the conflict after the end of the Ramadan, and the internal anger may turn towards Israel."
"There are alerts of terror attacks, but a decline in the number of attacks as a result of the forces' activity. We must refrain from getting involved in the internal Palestinian strife, but in light of Hamas' effort to broaden activities in Judea and Samaria, I have instructed the army to prepare accordingly," he stated
AP and Ynet contributed to this report.
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