Sinai border town divided

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 8

Sinai border town divided

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv Egypt and Israel have agreed on how to divide a northern Sinai town where their new border will cross rooftops, cut across streets, and pass through backyards. The agreement on splitting the town of Rafah without demolishing houses or evicting people, was reached yes-" terday by Egypt’s Foreign Minister (Mr Kamal Hassan Ali) and Israel’s Defence Minister (Mr Ariel Sharon). Mr Ali is due to return for another meeting with Israeli' leaders next week. Officials in Tel Aviv hope that more progress will be made in marking put the international boundary which will take effect when Israel completes its withdrawal from Sinai next month. Yesterday the two Ministers surveyed 15 disputed border points to pinpoint their exact location according to the boundary drawn up in 1906 between Britain and Turkey. According to the Camp

David peace agreements, this line is to mark the new international frontier between Israel and Egypt.

Mr Ali and Mr Sharon did not reach agreement yesterday on the frontier south of the Red Sea port of Eilat. The two countries are in dispute there over, a piece of land that includes a holiday village and a hotel. Israel has stated that- unless the border is fully marked by April 26 it will not complete its withdrawal from Sinai. Egypt has indicated that it may seek international arbitration to solve outstanding border issues before then. In northern Sinai, Israeli demolition teams have agreed to a one-day halt in work on dismantling irrigation installations, hothouses, and prefabricated houses in Jewish settlements in the Yamit area. The authorities agreed to a request by religious settlers to suspend work during the Jewish festival of Purim.