Presidential hopeful Mohamed ElBaradei on Friday called for the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to clarify what is happening in the reportedly ongoing clashes between Egyptian and Israeli soldiers in Sinai, eschewing the populist calls by other presidential candidates for a strong military response against Israel.
An Egyptian Interior Ministry official said five Egyptian military and security personnel were killed as Israeli soldiers pursued militants near the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip as they fled from a bloody attack they had committed earlier in the day in southern Israel.
He clarified that three were killed Thursday, and that two soldiers died Friday from their wounds, bringing death toll to five.
The SCAF has largely been silent about identifying the armed groups who launched the attack.
“Given the conflicting reports, where is the SCAF’s official statement on the recent developments in Sinai?” ElBaradei asked on his Twitter account, adding that the SCAF needed to inform the public about its strategy to handle the delicate security situation in the peninsula.
Other presidential hopefuls went a bit further.
“The military council should expel the Israeli ambassador and cancel all gas export contracts with Israel,” said Abdel Moneim Abouel Fotouh, a former Muslim Brotherhood leader, in a statement Friday.
Amr Moussa, the former Secretary General of the Arab League, condemned the killings of Egyptian military and security personnel as well, writing on his Twitter account: "The blood of martyrs shed while performing their duties will not go in vain."
He went on to say that Israel and other countries should be aware that the political outlook in Egypt has changed, and that there must be an appropriately strong response to the deaths.
