During the funeral of Ori Izhak Iluz, one of three Israeli soldiers killed, on June 4 in Safed. JALAA MAREY/AFP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (6 June) after a rare fatal incident occurred at the border between the two countries, the Egyptian presidency announced.
Mr Sisi received a call from Mr Netanyahu on Saturday “about the exchange of fire that took place at the border” and they stressed “the importance of coordination between the two countries to clarify the circumstances” of this incident, the Egyptian president said in a statement spokesman in a statement. Mr Sissi “expressed his condolences to Mr Netanyahu” and in turn referred to the position of Prime Minister of Israel.
Two Israeli soldiers were killed on Saturday by an “Egyptian policeman” who had been “smuggled” into Israel from Egypt. According to an Israeli military spokesman, the attacker, who had been pursued for several hours, was then shot dead in an exchange of fire, resulting in a third casualty among the Israeli soldiers. The incident happened near the Israeli military base in Harif, about 100 kilometers south of the Gaza Strip.
According to the Egyptian army, a member of the “security forces chasing drug traffickers” crossed a checkpoint between the two countries. There was an “exchange of fire, which, in addition to the death of the Egyptian, claimed three lives on the Israeli side”.
“Very serious and very unusual” incident
After the incident, the circumstances of which remain unclear, the Israeli and Egyptian authorities rushed to reaffirm their cooperation. On the same day, Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday described the incident as “very serious and very unusual” and promised a “full” investigation.
On Sunday, thousands of Israelis paid their respects at funerals in several Israeli cities for the three Israeli soldiers killed on Saturday. Officials had promised to clarify the circumstances of her death.
An Egyptian delegation including military officials arrived in Israel on Sunday as part of a joint investigation, according to an Israeli source familiar with the matter. The attacker is not linked to any Islamist groups but appears to have become radicalised, she added.
normalization of relationships
Although his name has not been officially released, Egyptian media identified him as Mohamad Salah, a 22-year-old conscript.
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Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. However, many Egyptians do not support this normalization.
While the border between the two countries is generally calm, it continues to be the scene of regular drug smuggling attempts, which in recent years have led to gunfire between smugglers and Israeli soldiers stationed at the border.
Hours before Saturday’s attack, Israeli soldiers foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs across the border. According to a spokesman for the Israeli army, no connection has been established between this event and the deaths of the three soldiers.
Also read: Article reserved for our subscribers After an attack on the Egyptian-Israeli border, the debate on securing the territory is revived