With all that has been happening, there have been some developments in Egypt that deserve attention but which have gotten no notice in the media.
First, earlier today, terrorists attacked an Egyptian military convoy in Sheikh Zuwayed and killed 11 Egyptian troops. The site of the attack is very close to the Gaza Strip in Sinai and the terrorists are believed to be affiliated with Hamas. While the fighting between Hamas and Israel may have ended for the time being, the battle between Hamas and Egypt has not.
We do not know for certain the reason for the attack. What we do know is that the Egyptian government has made new efforts to close the tunnels under the border with Gaza. During the last year, most of the larger tunnels were shut and destroyed by the Egyptian authorities. The smaller tunnels were harder to find, however, and some remain in use. In fact, the terrorist/attackers of the convoy probably entered Egypt through one of those tunnels. As a result, Egypt is taking over a wider swath of land on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza. The people whose homes and land lie along that border are being ousted and given compensation by the government. By leveling the houses and other buildings in this buffer zone, the Egyptians hope to close the Egyptian side of many undiscovered tunnels.
These events deserve attention for two reasons: First, they make clear that the cease fire between Israel and Hamas has done nothing to reduce the enmity between Hamas and the Egyptian government. Second, Egypt has taken over thousands of acres of land and ousted people who lived there. Not a single government has objected to this move. Contrast that with the reaction by the USA and other governments when Israel took a much smaller amount of uninhabited land in the West Bank over the weekend. The land being taken by the Israelis has been designated for housing construction for the last thirteen years. President Obama may have no idea how to deal with ISIS, but he was ready within minutes to condemn the Israeli move.
First, earlier today, terrorists attacked an Egyptian military convoy in Sheikh Zuwayed and killed 11 Egyptian troops. The site of the attack is very close to the Gaza Strip in Sinai and the terrorists are believed to be affiliated with Hamas. While the fighting between Hamas and Israel may have ended for the time being, the battle between Hamas and Egypt has not.
We do not know for certain the reason for the attack. What we do know is that the Egyptian government has made new efforts to close the tunnels under the border with Gaza. During the last year, most of the larger tunnels were shut and destroyed by the Egyptian authorities. The smaller tunnels were harder to find, however, and some remain in use. In fact, the terrorist/attackers of the convoy probably entered Egypt through one of those tunnels. As a result, Egypt is taking over a wider swath of land on the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza. The people whose homes and land lie along that border are being ousted and given compensation by the government. By leveling the houses and other buildings in this buffer zone, the Egyptians hope to close the Egyptian side of many undiscovered tunnels.
These events deserve attention for two reasons: First, they make clear that the cease fire between Israel and Hamas has done nothing to reduce the enmity between Hamas and the Egyptian government. Second, Egypt has taken over thousands of acres of land and ousted people who lived there. Not a single government has objected to this move. Contrast that with the reaction by the USA and other governments when Israel took a much smaller amount of uninhabited land in the West Bank over the weekend. The land being taken by the Israelis has been designated for housing construction for the last thirteen years. President Obama may have no idea how to deal with ISIS, but he was ready within minutes to condemn the Israeli move.
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