Little-Acorn
01-21-2009, 06:47 PM
A few days after Hamas agreed to a cease-fire, they have begun building up their weapons stores once again, of the kinds of weapons that Israel just finished invading them to destroy. Israel has now pulled out of the Gaza Strip. probably to show people they don't intend to occupy it, and Hamas is taking full advantage of their target's generosity in turning the other cheek.
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http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/news.aspx/129558
Humanitarian Aid Transferred to Gaza as Arms Smuggling Resumes
by Avraham Zuroff
(IsraelNN.com) The border crossings from Israel into Gaza were opened Wednesday in order to allow humanitarian aid to be transferred into the area. Meanwhile, on the Egyptian-Gaza border, a different sort of aid – to allow Hamas terrorists to replenish their armaments – has also begun. Merely a few days since Operation Cast Lead has finished, smuggling into Gaza through tunnels has been renewed -- at least according to TV footage aired by AP and Channel 2.
http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/gm09011620090118125759.jpg
News footage from the Associated Press documents Arabs loading a fuel truck with gas from a nearby tunnel. In addition, the photos show workers drawing attention to sealed tunnels, and tractors fixing the tunnels.
On the diplomatic front, Israeli leaders are discussing with foreign leaders options to thwart the ongoing smuggling of arms through subterranean tunnels into Gaza.
Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni discussed the situation in Gaza with 27 European foreign ministers at a dinner in Brussels on Wednesday evening. The leaders discussed ways of maintaining a ceasefire in Gaza, providing humanitarian aid, and stabilizing the Middle East.
Israeli envoy Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad will travel Thursday morning to Cairo to meet with the head of Egyptian Intelligence, Omar Suleiman, along with other government officials. The discussions will focus mainly on the prevention of smuggling at the border between Egypt and Gaza.
Senior Egyptian sources stated Wednesday that Cairo is negotiating with Israel in order to get its approval for the doubling of Egyptian forces at the Egyptian-Gaza border.
Mohammed Basioni, chairman of the Egyptian parliament and previously Egypt’s Ambassador in Israel, acknowledged in an interview with Al-Hayat that Cairo requested to add 750 soldiers to guard the Egypt-Gaza border. A 2005 agreement signed between Egypt and Israel already permits 750 Egyptian troops to be stationed along the border.
Egyptian sources nevertheless denied reports regarding an Israeli-Egyptian initiative to thwart smuggling into Gaza. Hussam Zaki, Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, stated that there is no truth to those reports.
On January 16, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Israel and the U.S. regarding the prevention of arms smuggling into Gaza. Nevertheless, Basioni claims that the memorandum has nothing to do with Egypt, and is only an understanding between Israel and the U.S. to take measures to prevent Iran’s exporting of armaments to Gaza.
Prime Minister Olmert updated U.S. President Obama on Wednesday regarding the situation in the Gaza. The Prime Minister said that he hopes that the efforts of Israel, Egypt, the United States, and the European countries to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza would succeed so that it will be possible to stabilize the ceasefire and advance the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the future.
--------------------------------
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/news.aspx/129558
Humanitarian Aid Transferred to Gaza as Arms Smuggling Resumes
by Avraham Zuroff
(IsraelNN.com) The border crossings from Israel into Gaza were opened Wednesday in order to allow humanitarian aid to be transferred into the area. Meanwhile, on the Egyptian-Gaza border, a different sort of aid – to allow Hamas terrorists to replenish their armaments – has also begun. Merely a few days since Operation Cast Lead has finished, smuggling into Gaza through tunnels has been renewed -- at least according to TV footage aired by AP and Channel 2.
http://media.townhall.com/Townhall/Car/b/gm09011620090118125759.jpg
News footage from the Associated Press documents Arabs loading a fuel truck with gas from a nearby tunnel. In addition, the photos show workers drawing attention to sealed tunnels, and tractors fixing the tunnels.
On the diplomatic front, Israeli leaders are discussing with foreign leaders options to thwart the ongoing smuggling of arms through subterranean tunnels into Gaza.
Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni discussed the situation in Gaza with 27 European foreign ministers at a dinner in Brussels on Wednesday evening. The leaders discussed ways of maintaining a ceasefire in Gaza, providing humanitarian aid, and stabilizing the Middle East.
Israeli envoy Maj. Gen. Amos Gilad will travel Thursday morning to Cairo to meet with the head of Egyptian Intelligence, Omar Suleiman, along with other government officials. The discussions will focus mainly on the prevention of smuggling at the border between Egypt and Gaza.
Senior Egyptian sources stated Wednesday that Cairo is negotiating with Israel in order to get its approval for the doubling of Egyptian forces at the Egyptian-Gaza border.
Mohammed Basioni, chairman of the Egyptian parliament and previously Egypt’s Ambassador in Israel, acknowledged in an interview with Al-Hayat that Cairo requested to add 750 soldiers to guard the Egypt-Gaza border. A 2005 agreement signed between Egypt and Israel already permits 750 Egyptian troops to be stationed along the border.
Egyptian sources nevertheless denied reports regarding an Israeli-Egyptian initiative to thwart smuggling into Gaza. Hussam Zaki, Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, stated that there is no truth to those reports.
On January 16, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Israel and the U.S. regarding the prevention of arms smuggling into Gaza. Nevertheless, Basioni claims that the memorandum has nothing to do with Egypt, and is only an understanding between Israel and the U.S. to take measures to prevent Iran’s exporting of armaments to Gaza.
Prime Minister Olmert updated U.S. President Obama on Wednesday regarding the situation in the Gaza. The Prime Minister said that he hopes that the efforts of Israel, Egypt, the United States, and the European countries to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza would succeed so that it will be possible to stabilize the ceasefire and advance the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the future.