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Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak (photo: US State Dept.)
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| By Israel Insider staff August 27, 2007 |
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Public Security Minister Avi Dichter on Monday slammed Egypt for its failure to prevent the smuggling of weapons from the Sinai Peninsula into the Gaza Strip, according to the Jerusalem Post. Since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in a violent coup in June, 40 tons of arms were smuggled in to the strip, 13 tons of which were brought in illegally since the beginning of August.
Dichter told Army Radio on Monday that Egypt, in failing to stop arms smuggling in to Gaza, was sending the message that it wants Hamas to succeed.
"Any rational person - Israel or Palestinian - who witnesses the Egyptians' failure to act against arms smuggling can see that it is in their interest to strengthen Hamas."
The security minister claimed that although Egypt had the capability to prevent the continued smuggling of weapons, it had not done so for seven years. "I assess the steps taken by the Egyptians as well as their available [intelligence] in the same way that I assess Israel's abilities... It is obvious that the Egyptians can make a more meaningful effort to put an end to this."
Meanwhile, on the eve of Gilad Shalit's second birthday in captivity, Hamas said it would release a videotape of the 20-year-old soldier, who was abducted over a year ago, if Israel released all women and children from Israeli jails.
Ahmed Youssef, an aide to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, expressed disappointment Monday that Israel did not make any such gestures after Hamas released a voice recording of Shalit a month ago.
"When we released the voice recording of Shalit we expected something from Israel in return, namely, the release of women and children from Israeli jails," the Post reported.
"If Israel would have done this we would have published a video tape of Shalit talking about himself," said Youssef, complaining, "unfortunately, this never happened."
He concluded by saying that if Israel agrees to the proposal, Hamas will consider a "new initiative" in the form of a video recording.
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