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Last update - 11:03 25/07/2008 Defense officials: Crackdown on Hamas civilian projects unjustified By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents Tags: Hamas, Nablus, closure, IDF The Israel Defense Forces has decided to rescind its closure order of a mall in the West Bank city of Nablus, issued about two weeks ago. However, the decision to reopen the mall applies only to stores whose income is not transferred to Hamas-affiliated associations. The decision followed a meeting Tuesday among GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Gad Shamni, the governor of Nablus, Jamal Mohsein, and the head of the Civil Administration, Brig. Gen. Yoav Mordechai. The meeting was to have been secret, but it was leaked to the press. Advertisement Mohsein told the Israeli officers that the decision to close the mall harmed the Palestinian Authority and the people of Nablus. At the beginning of the month, Haaretz reported that the IDF's Central Command and the Shin Bet security service were making a concerted effort to shut down the dawa, Hamas' civilian infrastructure. As part of this effort, the IDF closed down a large number of Islamic charities, confiscated their property, searched their computers and seized documents from their offices. Major operations of this type were carried out in Hebron, Qalqilyah and Ramallah, and a similar operation began in Nablus two weeks ago. However, the intensive campaign against Hamas' civil institutions has become a focus of controversy among senior security officials, with some of the brass arguing that the Nablus operation, which included closure of the mall, was not sufficiently justified. The operation also angered Palestinians and drew sharp criticism from international organizations. The broad outlines of the campaign were approved by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. But the activity in Nablus seemed to some to have gone too far, because the stores' links to Hamas were limited. One senior official said he was concerned that the campaign would be seen as "war against Islam" instead of a focused struggle against Hamas and its terror activities. The IDF has received legal authorization to confiscate income-producing assets of Hamas-affiliated groups, even if no clear link between the groups and terrorist activity has been proven. The IDF General Staff explained that in this way, Hamas would be deprived of an essential source of income and a means of increasing its influence over the Palestinian population in the West Bank. Also on Tuesday, Barak and senior IDF officers met with the governor of Jenin, Kadura Musa, and the commander of the Palestinian national security forces, Suleiman Omran. The officials discussed the planned opening of an industrial park near Jenin, as well as operations by the Palestinian security services and easing IDF restrictions on Palestinian civilians. Meanwhile, Palestinian sources said the PA security services had arrested a few dozen Hamas activists and suspected Hamas members in the West Bank, including 17 the Qalqilyah area and a large number around Nablus. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The bigger apple Study shows Tel Aviv is more expensive to live in than New York. When bedbugs bite After 40 years' absence, Israel braces for return of the bedbug.   1.   IDF engaged in "legalized" theft 02:53  |  BBSNews 25/07/08   2.   Olmert`s involvement? 04:24  |  Arie 25/07/08   3.   So IDF Thieves Will Steal From Palestinians With No Proof? 05:17  |  Lev Bronstein 25/07/08   4.   Re: BS News, Charlotte, NC. 05:17  |  Dudka 25/07/08   5.   Oh good, is the lingerie shop reopening? 06:26  |  Aphemia 25/07/08   6.   #2, Lev Bronstein... 06:27  |  Silvienne 25/07/08   7.   Re: Thieves will steal 06:44  |  Dudka 25/07/08   8.   define not sufficiently justified 08:32  |  rm 25/07/08   9.   define not sufficiently justified 08:32  |  rm 25/07/08   10.   Stink of IDF corruption has reached Washington at last 10:00  |  Chanalau, Tova 25/07/08   11.   #6 Silvienne - Israel Has Never Lived Up to its Potential 11:41  |  Lev Bronstein 25/07/08   12.   I am so disgusted 21:52  |  Guy From NYC 25/07/08   13.   Dudka # 4 Hamas has a right to be there!!!! 22:29  |  American in NY 25/07/08   14.   Guy from NYC it is onlty the tip of the Iceberg 22:31  |  American in NY 25/07/08

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