- The Media Line - https://themedialine.org -

5,000 Egyptian Troops Deployed Along Egypt-Gaza Border

Egypt has deployed 5,000 troops along its border with the Gaza Strip in an effort to stem arms smuggling into the Palestinian territories and forestall rumored Israeli plans to bomb the area. A small swath of land along the border that the Israelis call the Philadelphi Route is where perhaps hundreds of tunnels have been dug and are used to smuggle arms. Although Israel capitulated on a number of security issues surrounding Philadelphi in order to allow its unilateral withdrawal from Gaza to proceed last year, the smuggling of arms has taken on new importance since the 34-day war in Lebanon against the Hizbullah this summer. Military experts see Gaza-based terrorists as working to duplicate the successful Hizbullah formula of digging bunkers and stockpiling weapons, including the anti-tank missiles that proved effective for Hizbullah. While Egypt‘s efforts to prevent smuggling from their side of the border have been considered lax at best until now, it has been shaken into action by the realization that Israel is looking at options that include occupying the entire Philadelphi Route or bombing the area with smart bombs.