Egyptian-Israeli tensions flared early on Sunday, August 21, as protests continued to erupt outside Israel's Cairo embassy, where over 1,000 demonstrators railed at the Jewish state for the border killings of Egyptian policemen.

A lone Egyptian protester was cheered by crowds and many more in Internet social media after he clambered up 17 stories to capture the Star of David flag atop the embassy, replacing it with an Egyptian flag.

The protests came as Egypt's cabinet declared Israel's statement of regret for the deaths insufficient. However, Cairo remained mum on reports it was withdrawing its envoy in Tel Aviv in protest over the killings, which occurred on Thursday as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) hunted down terrorist militants after a deadly attack on Israeli civilians in the country's desert south.

"The people's hero"

The protester who hauled down the Israeli flag was carried away on the shoulders of protesters, after some shredded the flag to take home in bits as souvenirs.

Identified as Ahmed Shehat, he was instantly hailed online as "the people's hero" by Egyptian presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi. Some Twitter users labeled him the "Egyptian Spiderman."

Shehat said in a telephone interview broadcast on Al-Jazeera's Egyptian affiliate television station that the protesters had done something "perhaps more than a billion Arabs long to do: to tear up the Israeli flag."

"We want to expel people who are killing us," he said. "Those Jews and Zionists are part of the old regime, and we want to cut all our ties with the old regime."

Shehat said he had made it past armed police at a changing of the guard, sneaking up first to a lower adjacent building and then to the embassy's flagpole.

Protesters demand harder stance

The stunt came after protesters, some of whom were burning Israeli and American flags, had repeatedly attempted to shoot down the flag with fireworks.

Egyptian Military officers in riot gear stood by the embassy, but did not intervene. Two military police generals tried to calm the protesters.

"Look, what happened is Israeli soldiers were chasing some gunmen on the border, they opened fire and hit our men by mistake," said one of the generals. "That's all there is to it. They didn't enter our territory."

Protesters rebuked the officers, saying the military had to take a harder stance against Israel.

Tenuous cooperation

Official Egyptian news agency MENA reported that Egypt's cabinet is insisting on a firm timetable for a joint investigation into the police deaths.

"The Israeli statement was positive on the surface, but it was not in keeping with the magnitude of the incident and the state of Egyptian anger toward Israeli actions," a cabinet statement said.

The incident has proven to be the hardest test of the two countries' landmark 1979 peace since the popular uprising that toppled Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak in February.

"As Egypt confirms it is keen on the peace with Israel, Tel Aviv also will have to share its responsibilities in protecting that peace," MENA said.

On Saturday afternoon, the foreign ministry summoned Israel's deputy ambassador for a reprimand. The envoy read out a statement by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak expressing regret for the deaths and offering a joint probe, according to Egypt's foreign ministry.

Egyptian state television had earlier reported that Cairo would recall its ambassador from Tel Aviv; however, Israel said it had received no notification of the decision.

Continued shelling

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip continued firing mortars and rockets at Israel early Sunday morning, an Israeli military spokesman said. One civilian was killed Saturday night when a Grad rocket slammed into the Israeli city of Beersheba.

Over 100 projectiles have been fired at Israel from Gaza since Thursday, when the Israeli military bombed the Gaza Strip in retaliation for last Thursday's attacks near Eilot.

The IDF said many of the missiles were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome defense system.

Author: David Levitz (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

Editor: Toma Tasovac