Thursday, January 24, 2008

Reflections: Breaching the Gaza-Egypt Border

Hamas Spent Months Cutting through Gaza Wall -James Hider

Hamas had been involved for months in slicing through the heavy metal wall along the Gaza-Egypt border using oxy-acetylene cutting torches. That meant that when the explosive charges were set off in 17 different locations, the 40-foot [border] wall came tumbling down.
(Times-UK)


Breached Gaza-Egypt Border a "First-Class Security Risk" -Hanan Greenberg

IDF officials on Wednesday described the situation at the breached Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt as "a first-class security risk." According to a military source, "The free passage of Palestinians into Egypt and back significantly increases the security threat coming from Gaza."
(Ynet News)


Israel Wants to Sever Connections with Gaza

Israel would like to sever its remaining connections with Gaza. "We need to understand that when Gaza is open to the other side we lose responsibility for it. So we want to disconnect from it," Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai told Army Radio.
(Reuters)


Will Responsibility for Gaza Shift to Egypt? -Benny Avni

Some Israeli officials saw an "opportunity" in the flow of hundreds of thousands of Gazans into Egypt, suggesting that responsibility for Gaza's humanitarian situation should be shifted to Egypt.

"If Egypt and international welfare organizations are so concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, why don't they just reroute the deliveries? They can send food and necessities to Egypt, and then deliver them to Gaza through the Rafah crossing," an Israeli official said.
(New York Sun)


Proving the Egyptian Alternative -Yaakov Katz

Egypt helped Israel to complete its disengagement from Gaza. Egypt's decision to open the Rafah crossing to the Palestinians proved to the world that Egypt is perfectly capable of caring for the Palestinians when it comes to food and medical care. "By going into Egypt, Hamas loses its claim that it is under siege by Israel," said a senior Israeli defense official.
(Jerusalem Post)

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