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Egypt to withdraw ambassador in Israel over shootings Egypt to withdraw Israel envoy over Sinai shootings
(about 1 hour later)
Egypt says it is withdrawing its ambassador to Israel over the deaths of five of its policemen on the two countries' border. Egypt says it will withdraw its ambassador to Israel in protest at the deaths of five policeman, reportedly shot by Israeli forces on Thursday.
The five were killed as Israeli troops pursued Palestinian militants blamed for deadly attacks in southern Israel on Thursday. Cairo said it held Israel politically and legally responsible, and demanded an investigation and an apology.
Cairo said it held Israel "responsible for the incident", demanding an investigation and an apology. Israel has promised to investigate the deaths, amid claims that Israeli forces killed the officers while chasing suspected Palestinian militants.
The Israeli authorities have promised to investigate the deaths. It is the first time in a decade that Egypt has withdrawn its ambassador.
"The Egyptian ambassador to Israel will be withdrawn until we are notified about the results of an investigation by the Israeli authorities," a statement by the Egyptian government said. The violence began on Thursday when gunmen attacked buses near the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat, killing eight people.
It also demanded "an apology from its (Israeli) leadership over the sad and hasty remarks about Egypt". Egyptian officials say Israeli forces chased the suspected militants across the border, and a number of people were killed - including the policemen.
A number of Egyptians protested outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo overnight, demanding that the Israeli ambassador be expelled from the country. Hundreds of Egyptians protested outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo overnight, burning the Israeli flag and demanding that the Israeli ambassador be expelled from the country.
Earlier, Egypt filed a formal complaint to Israel over the deaths of its policemen, three of whom were killed by gunfire on Thursday and two died of their wounds on Friday. On Friday, in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, a protester managed to take down the Israeli flag from the consulate there and replaced it with Egyptian and Palestinian flags.
The five policemen died as Israel was pursuing suspected militants, who reportedly crossed the border from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula into southern Israel on Thursday and killed eight people. After the initial Eilat attack, Israel had expressed concern about security in the Sinai Peninsula and said Palestinian attackers had reached Eilat after entering Egypt from Gaza and travelling through the Sinai desert.
Since then, Israeli has carried out a series of air strikes on targets in Gaza, in which at least 14 Palestinians were killed. As the numbers of protesters grew outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo, the chants grew louder.
The Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza accused Israel of committing "war crimes". Protesters called for the embassy to be closed and the ambassador expelled. They burned the Israeli flag and tore down the metal barriers at the entrance of the embassy.
On Friday, Palestinian militants fired more than 20 rockets into Israel. Some protesters carried pictures of the late Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, known for his open anti-Israeli stance.
Security is tight around the embassy, two military vehicles could be seen in front of the building, and armoured emergency vehicles were also at the scene.
But the Egyptian cabinet issued a statement on Saturday denying it had lost control of the Sinai and demanding an apology from the Israeli leadership over "the sad and hasty remarks about Egypt".
"The Egyptian ambassador to Israel will be withdrawn until we are notified about the results of an investigation by the Israeli authorities," said the statement.
Cairo said it regarded the attack as a breach of the 1979 peace treaty between the two nations, and blamed Israel for lax border controls.
An Israeli official told the AFP news agency that the government was considering Egypt's move.
"There was such an Egyptian announcement and we are holding discussions based on what has transpired," spokesman Yigal Palmor was quoted as saying.
Under Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak ties between the two nations had been stable after a history of conflict.
But Mr Mubarak was overthrown earlier this year in a popular uprising, sparking fears among Israeli officials that a less amenable government could take charge in Cairo.
And correspondents say the Sinai desert region of Egypt has become increasingly lawless since Mr Mubarak was ousted, with a rise in al-Qaeda-inspired militant activity.
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme on Friday, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev warned there had been an "erosion of law and order in some parts of Sinai in the last few weeks".
But he added: "Israel and Egypt have a common interest in the border remaining quiet and not allowing extremist elements to establish a platform in Sinai... I understand that the Egyptians have no interest whatsoever in once again extremist elements escalating violence along the border."