BICOM

Egypt yesterday launched Operation Eagle, a significant military operation in the Sinai Peninsula to root out al-Qaeda and Bedouin terrorists operating in the area. The objective of the operation is to restore law and order to the Sinai. The Egyptian army will deploy 1,000 soldiers and a few armed personnel carriers in positions near El-Arish and Rafah, as part of the operation. Since the Egyptian revolution and fall of president Hosni Mubarak, the amount of weapons smuggled into Gaza has dramatically increased and Al-Qaeda and other global jihad organisations have strengthened their presence in the Peninsula.

Israeli military officials say they were aware of the new operation, and Defence Ministry diplomatic bureau chief, Amos Gilad earlier this month discussed with the Egyptian government plans for Operation Eagle. Israeli officials said they welcomed the operation and said they hoped it would stop weapon smuggling into Gaza. Under the 1979 peace treaty, Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt and Egypt agreed to keep the area demilitarised. The recent deployment of troops is carried out under the condition that if Israel requests, the troops will be withdrawn from the area.

Since the Egyptian revolution, the amount of weapons smuggled into Gaza, including advanced rockets and shoulder- launched anti-tank missiles, has increased. The Egyptian security forces are also expected to try and apprehend alleged Bedouin gangs that have been behind a series of attacks on the gas pipeline. The pipeline has been attacked five times in the past six months.

Further reading: BICOM Expert View: turmoil in the Middle East – an Israeli perspective