Egypt

Giza governor promises not to build another wall around Israeli Embassy

Giza Governor Ali Abdel Rahman pledged on Saturday not to build any more walls around the Israeli Embassy after violent clashes the night before.

Dozens of protesters stormed the Israeli Embassy on Friday night.

In August protests outside the embassy demanded the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador after five Egyptian security personnel were killed by Israeli forces on 18 August. Protesters stayed for almost a week and destroyed the iron fence surrounding the building, which prompted the Egyptian authorities to build a concrete wall, 100 meters long and three meters high, to protect it.

Protesters on Friday night demolished the new concrete wall, denouncing the Egyptian cabinet's feeble response to the killings.

Abdel Rahman told state-run news agency MENA on Saturday that he has issued instructions to remove the remainder of the wall.

He expressed reservations about calling the wall "the separating barrier," the term used for the barrier built on Egypt's border to block access to the Gaza Strip. He said that the wall aimed to protect public and private property and not just the Israeli Embassy.

Despite news this morning that a sixth Egyptian shot by Israeli forces on 18 August died today, the Interior Ministry said the situation in front of the embassy is now calm and under control. It said the armed forces has reopened the roads around the embassy and traffic has returned to normal.

MENA quoted a military source as saying that 19 suspects in Friday's clashes have been arrested and referred to the military prosecutor for legal action.

Translated from the Arabic Edition

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