Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuBenjamin Netanyahu sent a letter to Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi urging him to back the peace treaty signed in 1979 between-two countries, said a senior Israeli official Sunday. In this letter, revealed Sunday by Haaretz newspaper, Netanyahu stressed "Israel's desire for further cooperation and strengthening peace," said the official. He conveyed that the letter had been sent in recent days.
Haaretz said Israeli officials, after consulting with Washington, had decided to put off attempts to organize a phone call between Mursi and Netanyahu, but said the Israeli PM had dispatched an envoy for meetings with Egyptian security officials.
But Arabic sources mentioned that Morsi rejected a telephone call from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he wanted to congratulate him on winning the presidency.
Morsi has confirmed, on more than one occasion, his commitment to the continuation of the peace agreement with Israel, but he stressed that the Egyptian people, state, government and the institution of the presidency stand with the Palestinian people in order to achieve their full legitimate rights.
Separately, three Grad missiles were found near al-Reisan village in the Sinai desert Saturday evening, witnesses said.
The commander of northern Sinai security services Ahmad Bakr told Egyptian media that police arrived on the scene and collected remnants of the explosives. They are trying to determine their origin, he said.
In June the Israeli army said a Grad rocket was fired into southern Israel, possibly from Egypt.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian officer was killed and four others were injured Saturday when their vehicle came under fire by unidentified gunmen near the village of al-Hasana in the central Sinai.
Security sources told Egyptian media that gunmen fired heavily at a military vehicle, and when the driver tried to speed away, it flipped over. As a result, officer Mahmoud al-Khatib died and four others were hurt.
The Egyptian daily al-Masri al-Youm reported that large numbers of Egyptian forces and police officers started to canvas the area looking for gunmen.
