KrazyRabidSheep
18th November 2004, 16:37
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/n...ael_egypt_dc_11 (http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041118/wl_nm/mideast_israel_egypt_dc_11)
Egypt Demands Israel Explain Killing of 3 Policemen
2 hours, 47 minutes ago
By Jonathan Wright
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt protested angrily to Israel on Thursday and demanded a full explanation after an Israeli tank crew killed three Egyptian policemen at the Egyptian-Gaza border.
"While condemning and protesting strongly at this regrettable incident, Egypt demands the Israeli authorities hold an immediate, full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Hours earlier Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites) to apologize. Israel said its troops had mistaken the Egyptians for a group of Palestinian militants who were planting explosives against Israeli forces.
"President Mubarak seemed to accept Sharon's apology for this tragic incident," an Israeli official source said.
It was the most serious such incident for years. Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a treaty with Israel.
The incident took place in the dark around 3 a.m. local time on the Israeli-controlled corridor separating the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) from Egyptian territory to the west. A senior Israeli security source said the tank fired off a single shell.
Under their peace treaty, Egypt can deploy only police with light weapons along the border.
Israel's army put an Arabic-speaking spokesman on the Al Jazeera satellite channel to issue an apology.
"From the bottom of our hearts, we are sorry," Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters.
The incident raised tensions at a time when the Jewish state wants Egypt to help secure Gaza after a planned Israeli withdrawal there next year.
VISIT OFF?
An Egyptian official said it was not clear what effect the killings would have on Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheith's plans to visit Israel on Nov. 24 as part of attempts to help the Palestinians prepare for possible Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The Egyptian state news agency MENA, in its report of Sharon's call to Mubarak, said the Israeli tank crew had fired on the Egyptians by mistake.
Colonel David Menachem, Israel's acting commander in Gaza, said soldiers had targeted "terrorists" who had slipped into the narrow corridor under cover of darkness and were laying a mine.
But he said the Israeli fire had mistakenly hit Egyptian security men on their side of the border about 200 meters (yards) from the suspected militants.
"This area is a central point for arms smuggling, attacks and many infiltration attempts," the army said in a statement that also expressed regret.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said Egyptian security forces had recently stepped up efforts to prevent arms smuggling on their side of the border.
"So, of course, it just makes matters worse and we must find ways to ensure it won't happen again," Boim told Israel Radio.
Israeli embassy spokesman Israel Tikochinski said: "There are contacts between the Israeli side and the Egyptian side trying to investigate the details of this tragic incident."
Israeli-Egyptian relations have been chilly since the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising in September 2000, with Egypt accusing Israel of heavy-handed military tactics in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Egypt withdrew its ambassador from Israel shortly after the revolt began.
(Additional reporting by Michele Gershberg in Jerusalem)
Egypt Demands Israel Explain Killing of 3 Policemen
2 hours, 47 minutes ago
By Jonathan Wright
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt protested angrily to Israel on Thursday and demanded a full explanation after an Israeli tank crew killed three Egyptian policemen at the Egyptian-Gaza border.
"While condemning and protesting strongly at this regrettable incident, Egypt demands the Israeli authorities hold an immediate, full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Hours earlier Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (news - web sites) to apologize. Israel said its troops had mistaken the Egyptians for a group of Palestinian militants who were planting explosives against Israeli forces.
"President Mubarak seemed to accept Sharon's apology for this tragic incident," an Israeli official source said.
It was the most serious such incident for years. Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a treaty with Israel.
The incident took place in the dark around 3 a.m. local time on the Israeli-controlled corridor separating the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) from Egyptian territory to the west. A senior Israeli security source said the tank fired off a single shell.
Under their peace treaty, Egypt can deploy only police with light weapons along the border.
Israel's army put an Arabic-speaking spokesman on the Al Jazeera satellite channel to issue an apology.
"From the bottom of our hearts, we are sorry," Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told reporters.
The incident raised tensions at a time when the Jewish state wants Egypt to help secure Gaza after a planned Israeli withdrawal there next year.
VISIT OFF?
An Egyptian official said it was not clear what effect the killings would have on Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheith's plans to visit Israel on Nov. 24 as part of attempts to help the Palestinians prepare for possible Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
The Egyptian state news agency MENA, in its report of Sharon's call to Mubarak, said the Israeli tank crew had fired on the Egyptians by mistake.
Colonel David Menachem, Israel's acting commander in Gaza, said soldiers had targeted "terrorists" who had slipped into the narrow corridor under cover of darkness and were laying a mine.
But he said the Israeli fire had mistakenly hit Egyptian security men on their side of the border about 200 meters (yards) from the suspected militants.
"This area is a central point for arms smuggling, attacks and many infiltration attempts," the army said in a statement that also expressed regret.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said Egyptian security forces had recently stepped up efforts to prevent arms smuggling on their side of the border.
"So, of course, it just makes matters worse and we must find ways to ensure it won't happen again," Boim told Israel Radio.
Israeli embassy spokesman Israel Tikochinski said: "There are contacts between the Israeli side and the Egyptian side trying to investigate the details of this tragic incident."
Israeli-Egyptian relations have been chilly since the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising in September 2000, with Egypt accusing Israel of heavy-handed military tactics in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Egypt withdrew its ambassador from Israel shortly after the revolt began.
(Additional reporting by Michele Gershberg in Jerusalem)