The first of 750 Egyptian troops have deployed along Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip as Cairo boosted security Sunday ahead of Israel's imminent withdrawal from the Palestinian coastal area. The initial deployment began Saturday with about 200 soldiers taking over observation posts and other positions along the desert border. The entire contingent of heavily armed border guards is expected to be fully in place within days. The troop presence is aimed at preventing weapons from entering Gaza after Israel hands it over to the Palestinians and represents a deepening of Egypt's role in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, according to a report of The Associated Press.
