Israeli official: Cooperation strong with Egypt
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An Israeli defense official says the country has developed a new policy in recent years to allow Egypt to quickly beef up its forces in the volatile Sinai peninsula as part of a shared struggle against Islamic militants.
The official's comments Wednesday came days after Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh el-Sissi said there are about 25,000 Egyptian troops operating in Sinai. It was the first time an Egyptian leader has commented on the number of troops battling militants there.
A historic 1979 peace treaty limited the number of Egyptian forces in the Sinai. But it allows the two countries to change those numbers in coordination.
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The Israeli official, who was not authorized to be identified, said Israel now has a policy of approving Egyptian requests much faster than in the past.