Egypt insists on Gaza corridor pullout

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Egypt has insisted on Israeli withdrawal from the corridor between Gaza and Egyptian territory as part of an agreement they are negotiating to go with an Israeli withdrawal from the rest of Gaza.

"Israel must withdraw from the Salaheddin corridor before Egyptian forces move into the Egyptian-Palestinian border line," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Ghait told reporters in Cairo on Wednesday.

Egypt and Israel were widely expected to sign an agreement on the border about two weeks ago but the signing never took place. Israel has given mixed signals about its intentions on the corridor, known to Israelis as the Philadelphi Road.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said in an interview last week that he hoped that weapons smuggling would end along the border so that Israel could withdraw from the corridor.

al Jazeera