Israel must take back control of the Gaza-Egypt border to stop weapons smuggling, Israel’s new deputy prime minister said today.

Senior officials in Israel’s security establishment are advising that the army evacuate the Gaza-Egypt border at the same time it hands over the rest of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians, the Israeli daily newspaper Maariv reported today.

Israel will complete its evacuation of the Gaza Strip around mid-September, defence minister Shaul Mofaz said today.

Israel agreed in principle yesterday to evacuate a road along the Gaza-Egypt border that has been a major flashpoint of violence in recent years, Vice Premier Shimon Peres said after a Palestinian official warned that continued Israeli military patrols there would invite attacks.