Israel downplays Sinai drone strike reports

AP

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister said that his country won't let "rumors and speculation" harm the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, an apparent attempt to downplay reports that an Israeli drone killed four militants in a cross-border strike into Egypt.

The late Saturday statement by Moshe Yaalon did not explicitly deny that Israel carried out the Friday attack.

The Israeli military said Friday it was looking into the report. On Sunday it said it had no further comment.

Egyptian officials initially said an Israeli drone carried out the attack, but an official quoted by the state media later claimed an Egyptian helicopter was responsible.

Yaalon said that Israel appreciated unspecified actions taken by Egypt against militants over the weekend.

Egypt is highly sensitive to criticism about letting Israel carry out strikes on its soil.