Anonymous ID: 92e10e Aug. 6, 2024, 12:09 a.m. No.21359714   🗄️.is đź”—kun   >>9730

Egypt rejects Israeli request to help foil Iranian retaliation

Egyptian officials inform Israeli delegation of limited involvement amid regional threats

Egypt has turned down an Israeli request to join a group of countries to defend it against a possible retaliatory attack by Iran or its regional proxies, sources briefed on the matter told The National on Monday.

They said Israel was informed of Egypt’s position during talks in Cairo on Saturday between top Egyptian intelligence and security officials and a visiting Israeli delegation led by David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad and Ronen Bar of Shin Bet.

The widely anticipated attack on Israel would be in retaliation for the assassination last week of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and top Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut. Israel has acknowledged carrying out the drone strike that killed Mr Shukr but not the attack that killed Mr Haniyeh. Hezbollah and Tehran have vowed to avenge both and attack Israel.

Israel initially stated that the delegation's visit to Cairo was intended to continue negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a deal to free Israeli hostages, despite the talks ultimately being suspended after the killing of Mr Haniyeh, Hamas's top negotiator.

Egypt’s role in the case of such an attack, the Israeli officials were told, will be restricted to the defence of its maritime and land borders as well as its airspace, according to the sources.

"We told them that our role will only be the defence of our country in the event of an attack on Israel," said one of the sources.

 

https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2024/08/05/egypt-rejects-israeli-request-to-help-it-foil-iranian-retaliation-sources-say/