Cairo/Amman, Sep 4 (IANS) Egypt has rejected Israel’s claim that its territories were used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.
“Egypt completely rejects the statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, through which he sought to drag Egypt’s name into the conflict in order to divert the attention of the Israeli public,” Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry said Egypt will continue to play its role in leading the peace process in the region, reports Xinhua news agency.
On Tuesday, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry denounced Netanyahu’s claims as baseless accusations aimed at undermining efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire deal.
The ministry said in a statement that Jordan stands in solidarity with Egypt in the face of Israel’s claim and supports Egypt’s position on the matter. All the claims by Israeli officials were “worthless attempts” to justify “Israeli aggression on Gaza and the West Bank”, which has further escalated an already tense situation in the region.
On Monday, Netanyahu said in a press conference that Israeli forces “are not going to withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor”. He reiterated that it is important to keep the corridor under control to prevent future weapons smuggling from Egypt to Gaza.
The Israeli army took control of the Palestinian part of the 100-metre-wide and 14-kilometre-long buffer zone corridor and the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border in May, suspending the entry of trucks from Egypt to Gaza.
During several rounds of ceasefire talks, Egypt has repeatedly reiterated its demand that Israeli forces completely withdraw from the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing.
–IANS
SM /FZ
