Israel handed over another 2700 square miles of Sinai to Egypt today in the third pullout by Israeli troops since the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty was signed in March. Gen. Safiedden Abu Shenaf, head of the Egyptian delegation to the joint Egyptian-Israeli military committee, said that Egypt now controls more than 90 percent of the Gulf of Suez.
During the brief ceremony Gen. David Sion, head of the Israeli delegation to the joint committee, stressed that “Egypt and Israel are achieving through peace more than what they did in all the times of war.” Abu Shenaf said that “war is not an end in itself, nor is it the only way to liberate land and regain rights, for through peace the same results could be achieved without victims and blood.”
An Israeli captain who lowered the Israeli flag at the ceremony said “It is hard for me to leave the place. I have been here for the past five years.”
The area handed over today runs from the southwest part of the Gulf of Suez east to the center of the Sinai Peninsula. It has no military installations and comprises rugged terrain dotted with oases.
During the 12 years of Israeli control, the military set up a center for the Bedouin tribes that live in the area at the Firon Oasis. Millions of Israeli Pounds were spent in building a school, a clinic, a central garage and offices for coordinating problems of the Bedouins.
The area will now be controlled by about 1000 Egyptian border policemen. The Egyptian army is not permitted to enter there until the Israelis set up a new defense line from El Arish to Ras Mouhammed.
Immediately after the ceremony, the joint military committee began talking about the next Israeli withdrawal which will cover Mount Sinai and give Egypt control of the remaining 10 percent of the Gulf of Suez. The area will be turned over in November, ahead of schedule, according to a promise made by Premier Menachem Begin to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, to allow Sadat to mark the second anniversary of his historic visit to Jerusalem. The last stage of Israeli withdrawals, which covers the strategic passes, is expected to take place Jan. 25.
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