Israel is unwilling to allow Palestinian convoys to cross from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank for fear that terror groups would transfer know-how on making Qassam rockets to hostile elements in the West Bank, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Thursday.
In talks with U.S. Secretary of State Envoy for Far Eastern Affairs David Welch, Mofaz said Israel is, in principle, interested in allowing Palestinian movement from Gaza to the West Bank. The closure of the Philadelphi and Rafah crossings have seen a decrease in arms smuggling into Israel, Mofaz told Welch, adding that arms continue to be smuggled from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.
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| Israel opposes convoy passage from Gaza / Ronny Sofer |
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Israel refuses to allow passage of Palestinian convoys from Gaza to West Bank through Israel set for Thursday; insists PA take steps against terror before talks resume |
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Mofaz said the main challenge facing Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas after the January 25 parliamentary elections is to disarm terror organizations.
“We will not tolerate a terror authority and we demand that Abbas presents a plan. Without such plan it will be impossible to progress in road map talks with the Palestinians in the future,” said Mofaz.
Mofaz told Welch that Abbas is facing the most difficult crisis since his election, as he has lost control over the Palestinian Authority and was proven incapable of ending the state of chaos in the territories.
'Lebanese Shiite group is planning kidnapping attacks'
He reiterated Israel’s decision to allow PA elections in east Jerusalem but prevent Hamas candidates from running in the eastern parts of the disputed city.
Should Hamas come to dominate the Palestinian parliament, Mofaz said, Israel will stem contacts with the Palestinians.
“As long as Hamas is a terror group there is no place for dialogue," he said.
Welch was told of intelligence reports showing that the motivation of terror groups to carry out terror attacks against Israel still exists. Israel expects a spike in terror attacks after the Palestinian elections.
Asked by reports to comment on Hizbullah’s activities along the northern border, Mofaz said the Lebanese Shiite group is planning kidnapping attacks, as it remains interested in heating up the border. He called on the Lebanese government to deploy troops in the south.
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