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Protesters have broken into the building housing Israel's embassy in Egypt's capital, Cairo.
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| An Israeli official said documents thrown by protesters appeared to be pamphlets from the foyer |
A security
official said the protesters were in a flat below the embassy, but had not
entered the mission itself.
Israel has
asked for US help to protect its embassy, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak
said.
There have
been protests outside the embassy since the deaths on 18 August of five
Egyptian policemen, allegedly at the hands of Israeli forces.
Egyptian
officials say the five were killed as Israeli forces chased suspected militants
across the border.
Gunmen had
earlier that day attacked Israeli civilian buses near the Red Sea resort of
Eilat, killing eight people.
Hundreds of
Egyptians protested outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo the following night,
burning the Israeli flag and demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador.
Peace
treaty tested
On Friday,
protesters destroyed a wall around the embassy building before a group of about
30 broke in and threw documents out of windows.
Reuters
news agency quoted an Israeli official in Jerusalem as saying that the
documents appeared to be "pamphlets and forms kept at the foyer".
Egypt's state media said some of the documents were marked confidential.
Following
last month's border incident, Cairo called the policemen's death
"unacceptable". Israel did not admit responsibility, but said the
deaths were regretted. Israel's defence minister said he had ordered a joint
inquiry to be held with the Egyptian army.
Correspondents
say the incident marked a sharp escalation in tensions between Israel and
Egypt. Their 30-year-old peace treaty was already being tested after the
long-time Egyptian leader, Hosni Mubarak, was forced from office earlier this
year.
Under Mr
Mubarak, ties between the two nations had been stable after a history of
conflict.
But his
removal has sparked fears among Israeli officials that a less amenable
government could take charge in Cairo.
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