Israel removed all the objections to the transmission of the Saudi Arabia of the Egyptian islands of Tyran and Sanafir, which occupy an important strategic situation at the exit from the Akaba Gulf to the Red Sea, the details reported to sources in the government.
According to sources, Israel approved the draft agreement with the United States for these islands, which is actually an agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia, although it cannot be officially called that. The deal, which is now intensively promoted by the White House and which is timed to the visit of President Joe Biden to Israel and Saudi Arabia, is finally given a green light, the publication notes. Also, according to the sources, the final plan of the transaction on the islands was presented to Israel on Wednesday, July 13, by the American side. He was approved by Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Minister of Defense Beni Ganz and National Security Council.
The dispute between Egypt and Saudi Arabia is decided peacefully. Egypt is ready to give the islands in exchange for investments. But Saudi Arabia demands to remove international observers from the islands. Israel does not object to the transfer of the islands, but instead of international observers, it requires other guarantees of freedom of shipping: after all, through these islands, the way goes to Eilat. Israel wants to be sure that the Egyptian obligations in this regard will be inherited by Saudi Arabia. According to sources, a number of solutions to this problem have now been found.
according to the new plan, Saudi Arabia will sign an agreement with Egypt regarding the transfer of the islands and at the same time send a warranty of the USA with a detailed presentation of its obligations regarding freedom of shipping and safety measures in the Tiranian Strait. The Biden administration, for its part, will send Israel a letter with a detailed presentation of the obligations of Saudi Arabia and with the US additional guarantees for the supervision of the Saudis compliance with its promises.
The sources of the publication also said that the Minister of Defense Beni Hanz and the defense establishment are quite satisfied with such guarantees and believe that such an exchange of letters takes into account the interests of Israeli security. It is assumed that international observers who are now on the islands of Tyran and Sanafir will be transferred to new positions on the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. Inspectors will replace the surveillance cameras through which information will receive everything that happens on the islands and in the Tiran Strait. Saudi Arabia undertakes to take all obligations to the United States regarding the islands provided for by a peace agreement between Israel and Egypt. This mainly concerns the freedom of shipping for Israeli ships.