Egypt Demands Israel Investigate Police Deaths

Posted on Aug 19, 2011

Flickr / Gigi Ibrahim (CC-BY)

Egyptians protest against Israel in May.

Egypt filed a formal complaint with Israel on Friday demanding an urgent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three Egyptian security officials who were killed in Egypt during an Israeli military operation at the border.

Mideast media outlets airing the news Thursday of the policemen’s deaths gave conflicting reports on the circumstances, some saying they were killed accidentally by Israeli helicopter fire aimed at fleeing militants and others saying they were killed by gunmen attempting to sneak in from Israel.

Whatever happened, the people of Egypt are angry now, and they demand answers. And we all know what happens when the people of Egypt take to the streets. —BF

Al-Jazeera:

The killings have sparked anger among the Egyptian public, especially after Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, said Thursday’s attacks in southern Israel reflect “the weakening of Egypt’s hold in the Sinai and the broadening of activities by terror elements”.

Khaled Fouda, the Sinai governor, refuted Barak’s statements saying that Egypt has “increased security patrolling and checkpoints in Sinai”.

Dozens of Egyptians demonstrated outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo on Friday, burning the Israeli flag and chanting, “Close the embassy! Expel the ambassador!”

Sami Enan, the Egyptian military chief of staff, visited Sinai on Friday to look into the deaths and speak to troops.

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