Gaza-Egypt security briefing over Sinai

The leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas, Salah Bardawil announced: "A security delegation from the Gaza strip left on Saturday through the Rafah Crossing in order to share information with Egyptian security in investigating the Sinai attack on August 5." He mentioned that the joint security committee of the Palestinian and Egyptian sides aims to: "Reach the perpetrators of the crime which killed 16 Egyptian soldiers in Rafah Egypt, and to hold those involved in the incident". Bardawil stressed the joint committee: "Does not mean the involvement of the Palestinians in the crime but confirms cooperation between both sides to maintain the security of the Egyptian-Palestinian border, south of the Gaza Strip." "The beneficiary of this crime is the Israeli occupation who stands behind the crime or had prior knowledge of it." This refers to the evacuation of Israeli nationals from Sinai and the prior process of sweeping the border. Bardawil continued: "The Israeli enemy did not like communication between Palestinians and Egyptians and wanted to disturb this relationship directly or non-directly." The Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak had previously commented that the attack should serve as “a wake-up call” for Egypt over the dangers of Islamic extremism in both Sinai and Gaza.