Tensions have mounted between Egypt and Israel over the deaths of five Egyptian security officers by an Israeli warplane. While Egypt has not announced that it is recalling its ambassador to Israel, the possibility remains despite a rare statement from the Israeli government expressing regret for the incident.

It started with a series of attacks along a shared border on the Sinai Peninsula that left eight Israelis dead. The five Egyptian officers were caught in the crossfire of the retaliation. Despite the expression by the Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister, the Egyptian cabinet feels that the sentiment does not go far enough. There has been an offer of a joint Egyptian-Israeli inquiry into the incident, which both sides seem eager to accept.

The revolution is Egypt which toppled Mubarak’s pro-Israel government has shifted the foundations of politics in the Middle East. The anger of Egyptians also stems from the poor treatment of Palestinians by Israel. The new regime has recently opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, which is currently the only way in and out of the area that is otherwise surrounded by Israel. The Israeli blockade has led to extreme conditions in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The outbursts are also important because it is a show of legitimate public opinion in the once authoritarian country.

Israel has blamed Egypt for all but completely withdrawing its military from the border areas, which has led to several unexplained bombs attacking the natural gas lines which are a crucial part of Israel’s power supply. They maintain that the officers were killed on Egyptian soil in the crossfire, and that Palestinian fighters from the Gaza Strip slipped into Israel through the same territory. This accusation stung the Egyptian government, and they say that they have not lost control of the Sinai Peninsula.

The Camp David Accords limit Egyptian military presence in the area, but they have received Israeli permission to deploy 1,000 extra troops in the peninsula.

There have been protests in Cairo outside of the Israeli consulate. More than a thousand people have participated so far. One of the protestors climbed up the flagpole in the embassy and replaced the Israeli flag with an Egyptian one, prompting chants of “Long Live Egypt”. The protestors say they will continue until Egypt expels the Israeli ambassador.

Elsewhere, the Arab League has spoken out against “the Israeli attack on Egyptian forces.” This announcement came Sunday after a meeting of permanent members of the League, as they feel that Israel “bears full responsibility for the attack.”

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