Last update - 00:00 04/04/2007
Egypt considering bid to curb arms smuggling into Gaza Strip
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
Egypt is considering intensifying its cooperation with Israel in countering the smuggling of arms from Sinai to the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources told Haaretz on Tuesday.
The Egyptians will also cooperate on intelligence in tracking down Palestinian fugitives who reach the Sinai side of the Rafah crossing.
During the weekend, senior delegations from Israel, Egypt, the United States and the Palestinian Authority met in Cairo. The meeting was chaired by U.S. Lieutenant General Keith Dayton, the security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinians.
Representing Israel at the meeting was Amos Gilad, the head of the political-defense department at the Ministry of Defense. The Palestinians were represented by the head of Internal Security, Rashid Abu Shbach. Egypt's chief of intelligence, Omar Suleiman, did not attend, but his aides were present.
A similar meeting was held about a month ago in Jerusalem.
The sources said the meeting was positive, but that criticism was directed at the level of Egyptian involvement to date. Special focus was given to Egypt's unsatisfactory activities in countering the smuggling of arms to the Gaza Strip through tunnels running under the border area with Sinai.
The Egyptians were also asked to broaden their efforts in countering cells of extremist Islamic groups that have set up bases there.
All sides asked Egypt to stop, on the Egyptian side of the border, Palestinian and other terrorists who attempt to enter the Gaza Strip through Sinai. These include militants that Israel may not be aware of and are not on its stop-lists.
The Palestinian sources said the results of the first meeting were positive, but insufficient. The results of the Cairo meeting will be clear in the near future, they said.
Haaretz has also learned that four months ago Jordan transferred to the Palestinian security forces - units answerable to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas - a total of 3,000 M-16 rifles.
The weapons were transferred through the Sheikh Hussein crossing in the Beit Shean area.
At the same time, Egypt delivered 2,500 AK-47 rifles to Abbas loyalists through the Rafah crossing. In total, Egypt and Jordan also delivered more than 3 million bullets for the rifles.
Recently, Abbas asked the Israelis and Americans to agree to the transfer of more weapons from Arab countries to his forces, both in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. However, Israel and the U.S. rejected the request.
Before the establishment of the Palestinian unity government, the Palestinians procured ceramic bullet-proof vests, communications equipment and various vehicles for security forces affiliated with Fatah. These items were transferred to them in coordination with Israeli authorities.
The Fatah security groups, including the Presidential Guard (Force 17), recently received heavy machine guns, but it is unclear how they were delivered.
The equipping of the Fatah-affiliated security groups is being done in view of the growing strength of Hamas, mostly in the Gaza Strip, but also in the West Bank.
In spite of the establishment of the unity government, the Mecca agreement under which Fatah and Hamas formed the shared cabinet does not address the issue of the Hamas paramilitary organization, the Executive Force. The force, comprising some 5,000 members, operates in the Gaza Strip and Hamas has plans to double it.
Egypt and Jordan agreed to provide Fatah security organizations with weapons, instead of Israel, to avoid the impression that the Palestinians affiliated with Abbas are collaborating with the IDF.