Three Israeli soldiers and Egyptian security officer killed in border gunfire incident

Egyptian and Israeli officials are investigating the circumstances of the incident in full cooperation, the Israeli military and two Egyptian security sources said

The Egyptian army said its defence minister Mohamed Zaki offered his condolences in a phone call with Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant

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An ambulance near the Israeli Mount Harif military base close to the city of Mitzpe Ramon in Israel’s southern Negev desert, adjacent to the border with Egypt, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:31am, 4 Jun 2023

Three Israeli soldiers and an Egyptian security officer were killed near the countries’ border on Saturday, Israel and Egypt said, in an incident whose details remained unclear.

The countries said they were jointly investigating the matter.

The Israeli military said an Egyptian policeman shot and killed two of its soldiers while they secured a military post at the Egyptian border early on Saturday, after Israeli forces successfully thwarted a smuggling attempt overnight.

Israeli soldiers outside the Mount Harif military base near the city of Mitzpe Ramon in Israel’s southern Negev desert, near the border with Egypt, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

It said the Egyptian officer and a third Israeli soldier were killed hours later in a confrontation inside Israeli territory.

As soon as the two Israeli soldiers were discovered dead, the military treated the incident as a terrorist attack, Major General Eliezer Toledano, the Israeli military’s Southern Command chief, said.

The Egyptian military said the three Israeli and one Egyptian security personnel had been killed in an exchange of fire as the Egyptian security officer chased smugglers across the frontier.

Egyptian and Israeli officials are investigating the circumstances of the incident in full cooperation, the Israeli military and two Egyptian security sources said.

“The fatal incident at the Egyptian border during the Sabbath is serious and unusual and will be thoroughly investigated,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.