Hamas to boost military presence at Sinai border

Gaza government pledges to track down militants

By Philip Podolsky and AP 2 September 2012, 5:36 pm

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Palestinians walk toward the Egyptian border crossing with Gaza at Rafah, August 2012 (photo credit: AP)

A Hamas security delegation on Saturday visited Egypt pledging to boost security arrangements along the border between Gaza and Sinai, Asharq Al-Awsat reported Sunday.

At a meeting with senior Egyptian officials in Cairo, Hamas officials reportedly vowed to hunt down extremists who occasionally launch missiles and rockets from the peninsula.

Egypt’s military on Wednesday said it was pushing ahead with its offensive against Islamist extremists in the volatile peninsula, after reports of a truce. The offensive was triggered by a brazen attack on August 5 near Egypt’s border with Gaza and Israel, when terrorists killed 16 Egyptian soldiers before crossing into Israel, where they were shot dead.