Israeli military occupies parts of Egypt’s Sinai, reports say

Reports say the Israeli military has occupied parts of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. (File photo)

Source: Press TV

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/12/255872/israel-occupies-parts-of-egypts-sinai/

The military forces of the Israeli regime have occupied parts of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula amid tension in the Egyptian territory, reports say.

The Israeli forces crossed the Egyptian border and entered Sinai Desert during the early hours of August 11, and advanced a few hundred meters.

Israeli media outlets have confirmed the presence of the troops in the area quoting a spokesperson of the Israeli army, but Egyptian officials denied possibility of Israeli forces entering their territory.

The Sinai Peninsula belongs to Egypt and the Tel Aviv regime claims it has moved its forces into the Egyptian territory to counter armed groups and the flood of African migrants into the occupied Palestinian territories.

Human rights activists in Israel have condemned the recent measures taken by the Israeli military against the African migrants, who have been the target of violent attacks by Israelis in the past weeks.

The Israeli regime announced on June 3 that migrants who crossed into the occupied Palestinian territories illegally could face up to three years of detention.

Human Rights Watch has criticized the Israeli regime for the new piece of legislation, saying Tel Aviv “punishes asylum seekers for irregularly crossing into Israel, in violation of their basic rights.”

The latest development in Egypt’s Sinai comes a few days after unknown gunmen killed 16 border security guards and injured several others in Egypt near the Sinai border with Israel on August 5.