Israel Hands Over Body of Egyptian Soldier Killed in Border Incident

Occupied Jerusalem – Continued

Publication Date: Jun 05, 2023 10:19 PM Saudi Arabia

The Israel Broadcasting Corporation reported yesterday that Israel handed over to Cairo the body of an Egyptian soldier who died in a border incident last Saturday.

The Incident

The Times of Israel said Al-Masri is a 22-year-old police officer named Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, although there has been no official Egyptian confirmation of the policeman’s identity. On Saturday, Egypt announced that one of the security personnel assigned to guard the international border with Israel broke through the security barrier and engaged in a firefight, resulting in the “death of 3 Israeli security personnel and the injury of two others, in addition to the death of an Egyptian conscript during the shootout.”

Official Statements

Colonel Gharib Abdel Hafez, a military spokesman for the Egyptian military, said in a Facebook statement that “the operation to trespass into Israel was carried out while pursuing drug smuggling elements at dawn on Saturday,” adding that all searches in the area are being carried out inspection and insurance activities, as well as legal procedures in relation to the incident.

On Sunday, thousands of Israelis attended the funeral of three Israeli soldiers who died on the border with Egypt. Israel confirmed that it was “thoroughly investigating” the circumstances of this rare and serious incident, and the Egyptian authorities confirmed their cooperation in this regard.

Response From Israeli Officials

Also on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences to the soldiers’ families, and Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting that “(the incident) will be thoroughly investigated,” again calling it “dangerous and unusual.” Netanyahu said he sent “a clear message to the Egyptian government: we expect the joint investigation to be comprehensive.”

For their part, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stressed the importance of cooperation and relations with Egypt. In his statement, Gallant referred to the content of telephone conversations he had with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Zaki, during which he said they underlined the “importance of the relationship” between the two sides. And an Egyptian military spokesman said on Saturday evening that Zaki called his Israeli colleague. “To discuss the circumstances of today’s accident, express condolences to the victims of the accident with both sides and agree on joint action; Take the necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future.”