Al Jazeera

Cameras to replace peacekeepers at Red Sea Tiran, Sanafir islands

2 years ago 193

US-led peacekeepers will be replaced by cameras to ensure free shipping access for Israel to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Remote-controlled cameras will take over responsibility from US-led peacekeepers for ensuring international shipping retains freedom of access to the Gulf of Aqaba, whose coastline is shared by Israel and three Arab nations, officials said on Thursday.

The uninhabited Tiran and Sanafir islands lie between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The islands were ceded to Saudi Arabia from Egypt in 2016.

The Gulf of Aqaba is Israel’s only sea route to its southern port of Eilat and is vital to its trade connections to Southeast Asia.

During a visit to Israel and Saudi Arabia last week, United States President Joe Biden announced that the tiny Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) contingent on Tiran would depart....

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