'Egypt arrests terror cell in Sinai'

'Al-Ahram:' Egypt arrests Gazans who plotted attacks on Israel, draws up plan to seal Rafah border.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Egyptian security forces apprehended in the Sinai in recent days a terror cell - comprised of five Palestinians in possession of explosives belts - that was planning to carry out terror attacks in Israel, the Egyptian paper Al-Ahram reported Wednesday morning. The paper also reported that Egyptian authorities set the beginning of next week as the final deadline for all of the Palestinians who breached the Rafah border and crossed into Egypt to return to the Gaza Strip. The paper quoted "informed sources" as saying that the Egyptian forces also arrested another terror cell that crossed into Egypt with maps that pinpointed information on IDF bases along the border and the magnitude of forces stationed at each base. According to the Al-Ahram report, the Palestinians offered large sums of money to Egyptian border guards so that they would allow them to drive trucks into the Sinai unimpeded. The paper also reported that Sunday was set as the final date for returning all of the Palestinians who entered Egypt through the breached Rafah border back to the Gaza Strip. As a first step to sealing off the crossing Egypt was rounding up Gazans who remained in northern Sinai. According to the report, Egyptian authorities would prosecute anyone who "breaks the law" by remaining in Egypt. The paper also provided details of the Egyptian plan to seal off the border with the Strip. Egyptian Sources told the paper that several bodies would participate in rebuilding the wall, which would be replaced with a new, advanced system, in order to prevent Palestinians from infiltrating Egypt.