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Chaos as Rafah crossing opens (AP)
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| By Associated Press December 2, 2005 |
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| AP |
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The Palestinian Authority has allowed at least 15 terrorists wanted by Israel to return to the Gaza Strip, violating a U.S.-wrested agreement that was to have let Israel monitor who enters the area from Egypt, Israeli officials said Friday.
The entry of the Hamas self-proclaimed "militants," including one of the group's founders, through the border crossing at Rafah threatened to set off Israeli economic sanctions.
Palestinian security officials acknowledged that wanted men entered Gaza through Rafah, but said anyone with a Palestinian identity card can come into the coastal strip. They said Israel was making demands that are not part of the crossing accord.
Israel closed the Rafah passage -- Gaza's main gateway to the outside world -- shortly before withdrawing from the strip in early September. The crossing reopened last week after months of wrangling between Israel and the Palestinians over security procedures -- and only after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice applied heavy pressure to both sides to clinch a deal.
Israel was afraid that militants or arms would flow into Gaza through Rafah, but agreed to let the border reopen after the Palestinians accepted the presence of European monitors and installed security cameras that were to let Israel monitor the crossing live.
Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said "between 10 and 15" wanted militants have entered Gaza in recent days.
"We know this, but we have no ability to stop them because we are relying on the people there -- the Europeans and Egyptians. We talked to them. We are allowing them to fix the mistake assuming this is the beginning of the operation."
In recent days, Israel also has complained that the information it is receiving has been delayed.
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"We know this, but we have no ability to stop them because we are relying on the people there -- the Europeans and Egyptians. We talked to them. We are allowing them to fix the mistake assuming this is the beginning of the operation."
Raanan Gissin, spokesman for Ariel Sharon
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On Thursday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened to cancel a customs agreement with Gaza if the Rafah deal is not honored. Canceling the customs agreement, which allows the Palestinians to export goods into Israel, could devastate Gaza's economy.
Rashid Abu Shbak, the security chief in Gaza, said Israel's complaints were unfounded.
"Under the agreement, we transmit footage to a joint operation room" in southern Israel," Abu Shbak said. "The Israelis want to link that room to their computer, and we objected because this is a breach of the accord."
All people with Palestinian identity cards are allowed through the crossing, he said, adding that he could not confirm Israel Radio's report that up to 15 wanted men have entered Gaza recently.
Israel Radio said the militants had either been expelled from Palestinian territories by Israel, or fled, fearing Israeli retribution. Some left before the first Palestinian uprising against Israel broke out in 1987.
Their ranks included Hamas founder Ahmed el-Malah and Fadel Zahar, a brother of Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar, whom Israel expelled to Lebanon in 1991.
Sharon aides visited Cairo last week to ask Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to tighten oversight at the border, Israel Radio reported.
Egyptian officials were not immediately available for comment Friday. Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv declined comment on the Rafah dispute.
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