posted
CAIRO (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes have been flying over Egyptian territory during their bombing runs along the border between Gaza and Egypt, witnesses said on Sunday.
The witnesses, who have spent many hours close to the Rafah crossing point between Egypt and Gaza, said they had seen the Israeli planes fly over on several occasions, often at such low altitude that it was clear they were over Egyptian territory.
Israeli planes have been bombing on the Gaza side of the border, within a few hundreds of metres (yards) of Egypt, targeting tunnels which Israel says the Islamist movement Hamas uses for smuggling weapons into Gaza.
The three witnesses, who are not involved in the conflict, said they wanted to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the matter. The Egyptian government has faced a barrage of criticism for cooperating with Israel in the blockade of Gaza over the past six months.
An Israeli military spokesman had no immediate comment. Egyptian Defense Ministry officials either were unavailable or had no comment on the reports, and it was not clear if Israel was giving Egypt any warning of the flights.
Under the peace treaty which Egypt and Israel signed in 1979, Israel has the right to fly combat planes up to the international border, while Egyptian combat planes cannot fly east of a zone which covers roughly the western third of the Sinai peninsula.
Ismailia - Two Egyptian children and two police officers were wounded by shrapnel from Israeli bombs near a crossing point at Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, security sources said.
The children, aged two and five, and the two officers were the first Egyptians to be wounded by Israeli bombs since the Israeli offensive against Gaza began on December 27, and were taken to hospitals in el-Arish.
There were no details of the gravity of their injuries.
Witnesses said Egyptian houses near the border and government offices at the crossing were damaged by shrapnel on Sunday.
Israel has expanded its air campaign to the southern Gaza Strip, aiming at smuggling tunnels running under the border with Egypt, a network that is Gaza's lifeline to the outside world.
Israel says militants use the tunnels to smuggle weapons into Gaza.
One Egyptian border guard has been killed and two have been wounded in clashes with Palestinians trying to enter Egypt since the Israeli offensive began.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza since December 27 stands at 874, many of them civilians, Gaza medical officials said.
Israel says 10 Israeli soldiers and three civilians have been killed.
quote:Originally posted by binhaden: This is embarrassing. Does Egypt have any sovereignty?
Yes we do, we are our own people, we have borders, and we have our land! If hamas wanted a stop to all this they can simply end the fighting but they want to be stubborn while they watch their civilians die...leave Egypt out of this!
Posts: 511 | From: Alexandria, Egypt | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by binhaden: This is embarrassing. Does Egypt have any sovereignty?
Yes we do, we are our own people, we have borders, and we have our land! If hamas wanted a stop to all this they can simply end the fighting but they want to be stubborn while they watch their civilians die...leave Egypt out of this!
"You know, you have such a stunningly superficial knowledge of what went on that it's almost embarrassing to listen to you."
Posts: 132 | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by binhaden: This is embarrassing. Does Egypt have any sovereignty?
Yes we do, we are our own people, we have borders, and we have our land! If hamas wanted a stop to all this they can simply end the fighting but they want to be stubborn while they watch their civilians die...leave Egypt out of this!
HAMAS HAMAS HAMAS. They are engaged in a futile combat against a superior foe, but they fight for freedom against a Goliath. I disagree with the rockets, even though most are launched at military targets, but how else are they going to have their voice heard ? They are, after all, the democratically elected voice of the Palestinian people, but because of US and Israeli pressure are condemned as "terrorists", and it's this hypocrisy which is so frustrating. Menachem Begin was involved in the King David Hotel bombing. He was a Terrorist. What's the difference ? 91 innocent people were killed, hundreds more injured, and property destroyed. Is that "OK" though ? When the Mossad make a mistake, and assassinate an innocent man, is that just "collateral" ? When a soldier empties his magazine into a terrified 13 year old girl running away, is that just "normal" ? When jets deliberately low-level overfly at supersonic speed sovereign airspace as a deliberate act of provocative assholeishness, is this somehow "OK" ?
I believe Israel has a right to protect herself. But I believe the Palestinians have the same right.
What's so hard to understand about that ? In fact, I do not even think Israel is 'defending' herself. To defend you must have a homebase, they do not. They are on stolen land, you cannot defend yourself against someone on stolen land. The Palestinians are defending THEMSELVES and the Israelis are the aggressors.
Posts: 133 | Registered: Aug 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by binhaden: This is embarrassing. Does Egypt have any sovereignty?
Yes we do, we are our own people, we have borders, and we have our land! If hamas wanted a stop to all this they can simply end the fighting but they want to be stubborn while they watch their civilians die...leave Egypt out of this!
quote:Originally posted by TAREK307:
quote:Originally posted by binhaden: This is embarrassing. Does Egypt have any sovereignty?
Yes we do, we are our own people, we have borders, and we have our land! If hamas wanted a stop to all this they can simply end the fighting but they want to be stubborn while they watch their civilians die...leave Egypt out of this!
(n) sovereignty (government free from external control)
Wake up Tarek!!
Maybe you can explain why Egypt has been exporting gas to Israel CHEAPER than it sells it, to it's OWN people. Why this has been ruled ILLEGAL by the courts twice now, and the gas still flows to the Zionists.
Posts: 3291 | From: I DO believe in Karma! | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
No one is free, we are all enslaved by our consciences, religious or political dogma, immigration and borders controllers, bosses, relationships, duties of care and responsibilities to fellow mankind - work out how not to enslaved by anything and you probably have found the key of life.
I know when I lived in Egypt I loved the beauty of the country and people, but ive never felt so un free in all my life! our town was like a jail, surrounded by check points, I couldnt travel on a bus without a hundred security questions, nor visit a beach with my Egyptian husband without a "security guard" challenging us and pointing out an Egyptian had no right to be there, or go through a hotel entrance without having to plead to be allowed in to eat or drink in their "open to the public restaurants and bars", or walk along the street/sea front without having to prove we were married, ( and after so many years of marriage that one becomes extremely tiresome ) live in our jointly owned house without having to prove my husband had the right to be there, wear what I want without being judged, ( and by that, I mean clothes that are "too islamic for a westerner, as the concept of western muslim, free to dress how they want is totally alien to an eastern muslim! they either laugh and think you re a joke trying too hard to impress, or you re an undesirable fundmentalist ) being confined to my house when husband at work - in case I was seen to be "bad" for going out alone - call that free and being your own person?
Posts: 319 | From: egypt/uk | Registered: Sep 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by binhaden: This is embarrassing. Does Egypt have any sovereignty?
Yes we do, we are our own people, we have borders, and we have our land! If hamas wanted a stop to all this they can simply end the fighting but they want to be stubborn while they watch their civilians die...leave Egypt out of this!
and this is the reason all this crap is happening. because of people like you! they are our brothers, muslims and arabs. we SHOULD protect them and fight with them but no...you and people like you want to stay out of it. Dont worry, egypt is next on the list and no one is gona save our ass. because arabs will NEVER unite.
Posts: 506 | From: Some where on the east coast | Registered: Jan 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Shooky, thats a worrying comments about Egypt being next ! Ive thought this for a while now, and think maybe its time for Egyptians and foreigners to sell their homes in Sinai !! And they will win next time for the reason you say and once a taste of success from blood.......
Posts: 319 | From: egypt/uk | Registered: Sep 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Under the peace treaty which Egypt and Israel signed in 1979, Israel has the right to fly combat planes up to the international border, while Egyptian combat planes cannot fly east of a zone which covers roughly the eastern third of the Sinai peninsula.
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic