Egyptian- Israeli agreement over Gaza, Arafat accepts the Egyptian security demands
Egypt-Israel, Politics, 6/8/2004

Palestinian officials announced that the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat notified the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he accepts his demands concerning Palestinian security reforms. so as to allow Egypt to carry out a possible role in Gaza after the likely Israeli withdrawal from it.

This was expressed by a message sent by Arafat to Mubarak in response to conditions set by Cairo in order to accept the help in ensuring Gaza's stability after Israel's withdrawal. The extent of the reforms accepted by the Palestinian President is not known immediately. This, however, is made while Egypt and Israel have reached an agreement on security arrangements over Gaza that will be taken during the Israeli withdrawal and after it.

After his talks in Cairo yesterday, the Israeli foreign minister Silvan Shalom said after his alks with the political advisor of the Egyptian President Osama al-Baz that Cairo and Tel Aviv reached a formula that "permits Cairo to deploy more than 100 Egyptian soldiers at the Egyptian side of Rafah on the border between Egypt and Gaza without amending the peace treaty " signed in 1979 which imposes restrictions on the number and nature of weapons deployed on the border.

The two sides also announced their agreement to form joint work committees to improve the level of cooperation between the two countries including the security field. The Israeli foreign minister indicated in this regard that Egypt will send additional forces to the Egyptian side of Rafah to enhance security.

For his part, al-Baz announced that Egypt will not hesistate to bring back the Egyptian ambassador to Israel if this will serve the peace process. Shalom is scheduled to meet also with the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Israel hopes that Egypt will release Azzam Azzam, the Israeli spy who is spending a 15- year imprisonment sentence over being convicted of spying for Tel Aviv. Diplomats said that Egypt links between releasing Azzam and Israeli steps, including the improvement of its treatment of the Palestinians.

Previous Stories:
  Egypt: Judiciary refuses the foundation of the Egyptian- Israeli friendship society   (5/4/2004)
  Maher called on Palestinians and Israelis to return to the negotiation table   (5/4/2004)
  Maher: Sharon's statements show no commitment   (4/29/2004)

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