 |
 |
 |
|
|
Palestinians on tower at Rafah. (AP file)
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By Associated Press October 8, 2005 |
|
| |
 |
| Porous Egypt-Gaza border after Israeli withdrawal (AP file) |
| |
Israel and the Palestinians are moving toward an internationally brokered agreement on new security arrangements for Gaza's border with Egypt, Israeli and Palestinian officials said Saturday, a deal that could allow Palestinian residents in the coastal strip relatively free movement for the first time.
The signs of progress come days before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas are to meet for the first time since Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Also Saturday, the Palestinians broke ground on their first major development project in Gaza since the withdrawal -- a $100 million complex that will provide housing to 25,000 people. The development, funded by the United Arab Emirates, is being built on the former Jewish settlement of Morag and is expected to take two years to complete.
A border deal would mark a significant breakthrough. Before completing the Gaza withdrawal last month, Israel closed the Rafah border terminal, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world. The Palestinians say reopening the border is vital for Gaza's devastated economy.
A deal to reopen the terminal will have to address Israel's security concerns. Israel, which used to operate Rafah, fears that militants and weapons will reach Gaza more easily without Israeli inspectors.
This concern was underscored in the days following the Israeli withdrawal. Border control broke down, and thousands of Palestinians crossed freely in and out of Egypt without any security checks. With few exceptions, Palestinians have been barred from traveling to Egypt since order was restored.
Under a compromise proposal brokered by international mediator James Wolfensohn, Palestinian travelers and exports leaving Gaza would go through Rafah, with foreign inspectors supervising the traffic.
Incoming goods would be rerouted through Kerem Shalom, an Israeli-run inspection point on the meeting point of Gaza, Egypt and Israel.
Wolfensohn briefed Abbas on the negotiations Friday, and told him Israel agreed in principle to the presence of European inspectors, said a Palestinian official who participated in the talks.
Wolfensohn told Abbas he hopes to wrap up a Rafah deal by the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in early November, the Palestinian official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to the media.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Wolfensohn chaired a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian officials last week, where subcommittees on customs and security were set up. "We are going in a positive direction," he said.
A senior Israeli official said late Saturday that Israel is open to the idea of foreign monitors on the border, and that the Wolfensohn plan is "one of the options" under consideration. Israel wants to have access to the terminal's computers to monitor who is entering and leaving Gaza, the official said.
Sharon is to meet with top officials Sunday to finalize the Israeli position on the border issue before the summit with Abbas, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity under government rules.
Israeli and Palestinian officials planned to complete preparations Sunday for the summit. Abbas and Sharon are expected to meet Tuesday, but the date isn't certain. Both sides have said it's better not to hold the meeting at all than to have it fail.
Despite progress on the border issue, the two sides appear to remain deadlocked on other areas. The Palestinians are pushing for the release of some of the more than 7,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, and an Israeli troop withdrawal from West Bank towns.
Israel wants Abbas to take tougher action against militant groups. Abbas has refused to use force to disarm the groups, preferring instead to negotiate with them, though he recently imposed a ban on public displays of weapons in Gaza. Militants have repeatedly flouted the ban.
During Saturday's groundbreaking ceremony for the Gaza housing project, Abbas renewed his call on the militants to keep their weapons out of the public eye.
"We call on our brothers who started the calm with us, who agreed to end military parades and displays, to start a new era and open a new page, the page of construction, development and investment," he said.
Representatives from militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad signed a document Saturday promising respect for Palestinian diplomatic efforts. But the groups reiterated their commitment to "armed struggle" against Israel. As the "honor document" was presented to reporters, dozens of gunmen stood in public view.
Israeli officials fear the militants will use the Israeli pullout to build up their weaponry.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Saturday said that Egypt is not doing enough to stop the flow of weapons into Gaza, and that anti-tank rockets and shoulder-held missiles have reached the area.
"There is no doubt that the situation has improved, compared to the first days, but we still see a relatively free movement (of weapons)," he told Israel Radio.
Egypt and Israel negotiated a security arrangement, including the deployment of 750 Egyptian border guards, ahead of the Gaza pullout.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
