Special to WorldTribune.com

RAMALLAH — Egypt has blocked an Islamist insurgency strike on Israel.

The Palestinian news agency Maan said the Egyptian Army killed a would-be suicide bomber who tried to infiltrate an Israel Army base along the Egyptian border.

Maan quoted Egyptian military sources as saying that the bomber was killed by Egyptian troops on late July 23.

“He was shot dead while running towards the border with Israel south of Rafah in what they said was an attempt to reach an Israeli military base in Kerem Shalom,” Maan reported.

In a report on July 24, Maan, funded by the European Union, said the dead man was found to have carried an explosive belt as well as a bomb. Neither Egypt nor Israel confirmed the report.

Maan also said the Egyptian Army stopped rocket fire into Israel from the Sinai Peninsula. The news agency, quoting Egyptian military sources, said a vehicle with BM-21 Grad rockets was destroyed in Sheik Zweid near the Sinai-Gaza border.

“It was hit by artillery shells, killing two individuals inside,” Maan said.

Western diplomatic sources said Egypt has emerged as a major partner of Israel in the war against Hamas. The sources said the Egyptian military was on alert to stop the flow of rockets from and to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

  Egyptian Army kills suicide bomber running toward Israeli border, Rafah, Sheik Zweid, Sinai Peninsula