Israel hints that Sinai fighting caused cellphone disruption

Communications minister says defense officials met with counterparts ‘over the border’ to restore service

By AP 7 March 2018, 2:14 pm

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Illustrative. Smoke rises after a house was blown up in a military operation in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on November 20, 2014. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90/File)

An Israeli official hinted Wednesday that a disruption to cellphone coverage across southern Israel was caused by fighting in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

Communications Minister Ayoub Kara told Army Radio that defense and military officials had met with their counterparts “over the border” and that cellphone reception will soon be restored after a more than week-long disruption.

Army Radio identified the foreign officials as Egyptian.

The Egyptian military has been waging a major campaign against Islamic terrorists in the northern Sinai over the past month, and has occasionally disrupted cellphone service in the restive territory.

Kara said that “after the very important meeting yesterday over the border we managed to reach an understanding” that will end the cellular disruption in the coming days.