Israel Calls for Joint and Comprehensive Investigation with Egypt Regarding Border 'Terrorist Attack'

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, on Sunday described the killing of three Israeli border guards by a member of Egypt's security services as a 'terrorist attack' and called for a thorough and joint investigation by both countries into the matter. Egypt stated it is cooperating with Israel to investigate this deadly incident that occurred on Saturday night. Mr. Netanyahu said in the weekly cabinet meeting, 'Israel has sent a clear message to the Egyptian government; that we expect a joint, comprehensive, and thorough investigation.' He added, 'We will update the procedures and methods of operations as well as actions to minimize smuggling and ensure that such terrorist attacks do not happen again.' The border between Israel and Egypt is usually calm, and the two countries have close security cooperation; however, there have been multiple reports of drug smuggling across this border. The Israeli army reported early on Saturday that two Israeli border guards were killed by a member of Egypt's security services who crossed the border barrier between the two countries. The guard post of these two soldiers was in a remote location, which delayed the discovery of their bodies for several hours. Also see: Three Israelis and one Egyptian killed during an unprecedented border clash. According to an Israeli army spokesperson, the situation was declared a terrorist attack, and the army, after sending a drone for surveillance, identified a suspicious individual 1.5 kilometers deep into Israeli territory. Subsequently, Israeli soldiers made contact with this person, and during the exchange of fire, the individual and a third Israeli were killed. The Egyptian army announced on Saturday that three Israeli soldiers and one Egyptian were killed following the pursuit of smugglers by an Egyptian soldier on the other side of the border and the subsequent exchange of fire. Two Egyptian sources said on Sunday that a team of experts is examining the scene to determine the cause of this incident. Colleagues and family members of the Egyptian soldier have also been interviewed to ascertain whether he was a member of any political group or suffered from mental illness. Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. The two countries share a border of over 200 kilometers. U.S. and Qatari foreign ministers discussed a ceasefire in Gaza. Palestinian officials announced an agreement between 'Islamic Jihad' and Israel regarding a ceasefire. Blinken is on the verge of a trip to the Middle East; Iran is the focus of discussions with Egyptian and Israeli officials.