Israeli Embassy in Cairo attacked

Israel flew its ambassador home this morning after Egyptians stormed the building housing the Israeli mission in Cairo. Protesters lit tyres in the street and at least two vehicles were set alight near the Israeli embassy, located on the upper floors of a residential apartment block overlooking the Nile.

A group of about 30 managed to break in to a building housing the embassy and threw documents out of windows.

Police fired shots in the air and teargas to disperse the crowd.

As dawn broke, about 500 demonstrators remained.

Some hurled stones at police and army vehicles and personnel.

Earlier on Friday a wall surrounding the embassy building was destroyed.
The unrest erupted after Friday prayers, when thousands of protesters amassed on Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand faster political reforms following the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak.

It was the second big eruption of violence at the embassy since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month during an Israeli operation against gunmen which provoked anger among protesters.

That incident prompted Egypt briefly to threaten to withdraw its envoy.

Israel's ambassador Yitzhak Levanon left Cairo for Tel Aviv with staff and their families in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf called a cabinet crisis meeting for early on Saturday to discuss the crisis which has left relations between both states at a low point.

U.S. President Barack Obama has called on Egypt to "honour its international obligations" and protect the Israeli mission. Listen