Israel Egypt Move Closer In Beefing Security Arrangements At Gaza
-
Roshan Amiri
- . November 11, 2021
- . Update: November 11, 2021 6:53 pm
Palestine–Israel is now giving Egypt the nod to reinforce its security preparedness on border with Gaza. This is a clear sign of a close security co-ordination between Israel and Egypt.
This would mean an increase in the number of capabilities of border guards on the frontier between Egypt and the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip. The amendment essentially applies more to the town of Rafah and its border which acts as the main crossing between Egypt and Gaza. The official statement also states that Egypt alone will increase the number of border guards.
“The joint military committee has succeeded through a co-ordination meeting with the Israeli side to amend the security agreement to increase the number of border guards and their capabilities on the border area at Rafah,” the Egyptian military spokesman has said to the media in an official statement. “This comes in the context of an international agreement; and reinforces the foundations of security to deal with changes and variables.”
A formal meeting has already happened to cement the decision to increase the military presence, though exact numbers have not been disclosed. This development shows growing cooperation between former foes too.
Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace treaty with Israel, ending decades of hostilities in which, the countries fought three full-blown wars in 1948, 1967 and 1973. Relations have since been described as a “cold peace” because of the scarcity of contact between the two peoples.
Both countries have worked together in controlling militants, human and drug trafficking and have found more reasons to work together. It is known that militants from Gaza have joined their Egyptian peers in northern Sinai. This has forced Egypt to step up security on the border and destroy an elaborate network of tunnels used by Palestinians in Gaza to smuggle a wide range of goods, including arms.
