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Source: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=259104
Israel, Egypt Working to Stop Hamas Attacks from Sinai
(Jerusalem Post) Yaakov Katz - Israel and Egypt are working together to stop Hamas terrorists from "cynically using" the Sinai Peninsula to perpetrate terror attacks against Israel, Brig.-Gen. Nadav Padan, commander of the IDF's 80th Division, said Thursday. "We regularly coordinate with the Egyptians and synchronize our efforts to coordinate joint action against Hamas." 100 km. of a newly built barrier along the 240-km. border is now complete. The IDF is also investing large resources in intelligence gathering, to create a clearer understanding of terrorist groups that operate in Sinai. The Egyptian military currently operates four battalions within Sinai, which are mostly used to protect tourist sites as well as the gas line that runs through the peninsula. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved the insertion of two more battalions but the Egyptians have yet to act. A senior IDF officer said that terrorist elements were moving freely throughout the Sinai and sometimes right under the nose of the Egyptian security forces. In addition, in 2011, over 16,000 African migrant workers illegally crossed into Israel via the border.