TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- The Israeli and Egyptian defense ministers this week considered establishing border coordination facilities to prevent incidents.
A spokeswoman for Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz proposed such arrangements in a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Hussein Tantawi.
Mofaz' proposal followed an investigation into a Nov. 18 incident in which an Israeli tank crew fired at what officers thought was a Palestinian bomb-laying squad but turned out to be three Egyptian border guards. The guards were killed.
Military Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon, Monday briefed his Egyptian counterpart about the army's findings and conclusions.
The investigation faulted soldiers for not determining the correct azimuth that would have prevented cross border fire. Soldiers ignored restriction on the type of shells tanks may fire there.
The army was considering measures that would make the border fence stand out in night vision equipment and senior officers are to keep a closer eye on new company and battalion commanders who arrive in the area, a military source in the area told United Press International.
