Fearing Islamic State spillover, Israel has beefed up security along its border with Egypt after a wave of unprecedented terror attacks by the militant group in Sinai Peninsula killed at least 70 people, mostly soldiers.
Following a series of situation assessment meetings at the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Southern Command, the Israeli Defence Ministry yesterday decided to close the Nitzana and Kerem Shalom crossings on the southern border, but re-opened Kerem Shalom this morning.
Kerem Shalom, where the borders of Israel, Egypt and the Gaza Strip meet, has been prone to attacks in the past and defence forces here said that troops have been mobilised in substantial numbers to man the area.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that "ISIS is not just on the Golan, they are in Egypt as well, near Rafah, near our border."
"We are partners with the Egyptians, and many other states in the Middle East and the world, in our battle against radical Islamic terrorism.
"This terrorism is directed by two different entities -- Iran, and the radical Shiites, and ISIS and the radical Sunnis, as well as factions like Hamas," Netanyahu stressed.
Israel and Egypt maintain strong security coordination, but the Egyptian military has so far not asked Israel for permission to increase its troops beyond their current numbers in northern Sinai, as mandated by the peace accord between the two states.
Egyptian medical and security officials yesterday said at least 70 people, mostly soldiers, were killed in the attacks by heavily-armed IS militants, along with dozens of jihadists.
The recent wave of terror attacks in Egypt comes at the height of an upswing in ties between Israel and Egypt, which started over the past year when Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came into power, in light of the common enemies and interests the two countries share.
As per reports, al-Sisi last week appointed Hazem Khairat, 57, as Egypt's new Ambassador to Israel, three years after the previous ambassador was recalled due to Operation Pillar of Defence.
The Egyptian army has launched a major campaign against the ISIS vowing to "clear Sinai of all terror".
"We are conducting a difficult and unrelenting war against this terror. We want to make it clear to our people that we have the will and drive to remove the terror from its roots," the Egyptian military said in the wake of the deadliest battle in Sinai since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.
"We won't stop until Sinai is clear of all terror, and our beloved homeland will be stable and secure," it added.
