Israel agrees to Egypt troop movements in Sinai

IDF states Egypt moved forces into border area near Gaza Strip with Israeli authorization; move estimated to contain possible unrest in light of recent mass protests across Egypt

Associated Press|Published: 07.02.13 , 18:00

Israel's military says Egypt has moved forces into the border area near the Gaza Strip in coordination with Israel.

With unrest sweeping the country, Egypt is believed to have moved several dozen armored vehicles to the volatile border area to contain militant activity. The Israeli military gave no details.

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Under a 1979 peace treaty, Egypt is required to coordinate any special military activity in the area with Israel.

In a statement Tuesday, the Israeli army said "the Egyptian military activity in Sinai is coordinated with Israeli security elements and authorized at the most senior levels in Israel, to contend with security threats in Sinai that pose a threat to both Israel and Egypt."

Violent Islamic extremists are gaining strength in Sinai, and Palestinian militants have infiltrated through tunnels from Gaza.

According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, "The Egyptian military action in Sinai was coordinated with the defense establishment and authorized by senior officials in Israel in order to deal with Sinai security challenges that pose a threat to both countries."

In Suez, Egyptian troops chanted, marched and trained for unarmed combat in the streets of the city at the mouth of the Suez Canal, images from Al Jazeera's Egypt news channel satellite showed.

Security sources in Suez said that forces from the locally based Third Field Army strengthened their presence in the city overnight after the clashes. Armed vehicles were also sent on patrol, the sources told Reuters.

Earlier Tuesday, Morsi met the head of the armed forces for the second day in a row, along with Prime Minister Hisham Kandil, according to a statement from the president's office. It gave no details of the talks. Military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had given Morsi and his opponents until Wednesday to resolve a political deadlock or face a solution imposed by the armed forces.