Egyptian FM delays trip to Israel

Egypt's foreign minister postponed his visit to Israel on Saturday, two days after Israeli troops killed three Egyptian paramilitary policemen on the Gaza Strip border.

In an overnight statement published in Egyptian media Saturday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit had discussed with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom "choosing a new date" for the Nov. 24 visit, which will now be "in the first half of December."

Egypt condemned Israel's killing of three border police in the dark hours of Thursday morning. Israel promptly apologized for the incident, saying one of its tanks mistakenly fired at the police when it had been ordered to shoot at militants on the Egyptian side of the Gaza border.

But many Egyptians did not accept the apology. About 600 people demonstrated against the killing on Friday in Cairo, holding banners with slogans such as "The pigs' apology doesn't quench our rage."

Independent and opposition newspapers in Egypt ran editorials Friday that scorned Israel's bid to make amends. Pro-government papers carried interviews with relatives and friends of the three young policemen who were killed.

Aboul Gheit's trip to Israel, his first since he took office in July, was designed for talks on Israel's planned withdrawal from Gaza and the Palestinian Authority after the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat earlier this month.

Egypt has been working with the Palestinians and the Israelis to try to ensure stability in Gaza after Israel withdraws, which is expected to take place next year.

Aboul Gheit is scheduled to be accompanied by Egypt's chief of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, who has been negotiating with Israel and various Palestinian groups