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Last update - 08:45 03/08/2008
Top IDF officer: Gaza was never close to a humanitarian crisis
By Amos Harel
Tags: IDF, Hamas, Gaza, Israel

The economic pressure Israel placed on the Gaza Strip is what led Hamas to agree to the cease-fire, Col. Nir Press, outgoing head of the District Coordination Office in the Gaza Strip, told Haaretz.

However Press insists that at no time did a humanitarian crisis prevail in the Strip.

Press, who today ends three years as head of the coordination office said that when he began his term, right after disengagement, "there were still quite a few expectations." According to Press, a change took place not after Hamas ousted Fatah from the Gaza Strip in June 2007, but after Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in June 2006.
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Press, who will be retiring from the army after a 26-year career, will be succeeded by Col. Moshe Levy.

Press said the directive he received was clear: "No humanitarian crisis and no direct talks with Hamas." Press also said: "The starting point has to be that the Palestinians will stay here, two minutes from Netiv Ha'asara," referring to an Israeli Jewish community on the northern border of the Gaza Strip, "and 45 minutes from Tel Aviv. Therefore, we continued our meetings with residents from the Strip during Hamas' period."

With regard to the six-week-old cease-fire, Press says Israel's economic pressure led Hamas to understand that continued rocket fire hurt Hamas. "There was a period when they thought that everything was win-win for them. They attacked the crossings and assumed that we'd close them, and they could blame us for shortages. We managed to make it clear through the Arab press that Gaza had to choose: merchandise or Qassams and mortars." Press said the Gaza Strip was never in danger of becoming a humanitarian crisis.

"The claims of electricity shortages and hunger were part of Hamas' campaign of lies." Press says he sees increased Iranian involvement in the Gaza Strip since disengagement. "It expresses itself not only by sending people for training in camps in Iran, but also in giving money to the unemployed.

Press says Iran's next goal is the West Bank. Today there is no real alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "Last month, Hamas forces took over the PA presidential complex in Gaza. The message to Fatah is 'you have no place here any more.'"
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  1.   what is a humanitarian crisis? Must people die in the millions 06:13  |  human 03/08/08
  2.   Making it in Gaza? Hardly 07:24  |  Dutch 03/08/08
  3.   Making it in Gaza? Hardly 07:26  |  Dutch 03/08/08
  4.   A Humanitrarian Crisis Self Inflicted is not a crisis 08:23  |  Lev 03/08/08
  5.   typical 08:25  |  rm 03/08/08
  6.   If "Pali Resistance" is more important than a future their choice 08:26  |  Nuf Said 03/08/08
  7.   So long as they are still alive, its not a crisis 08:36  |  Palestinian Brit 03/08/08
  8.   Israel needs to stand firm and look out for its own interests... 08:37  |  Jean Van Daem 03/08/08
  9.   Proof is in the pix 08:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/08/08
  10.   Special deals for Arabs through UN And Red Cross 09:21  |  PETER SM 03/08/08
  11.   Gaza will only collapse because the tunnels will make it fall 09:25  |  Alain 03/08/08
  12.   To #6: so long as they kill & torture each other, it`syour crisis 09:27  |  Alain 03/08/08
  13.   What is the point of cutting power and supplies to Gaza? 09:51  |  Natallie Durson 03/08/08
  14.   #2 What`s sad is that they could have their own country ... 10:07  |  DesMnsDave 03/08/08
  15.   #13 nutullie the expert in zilch posts again 11:10  |  victor hardman 03/08/08
  16.   #1 it`s nothing at all like the Warsaw ghetto 11:16  |  Softwalker 03/08/08
  17.   Palestinian Brit 11:30  |  Softwalker 03/08/08
  18.   Col Press is talking now -- but still misrepresenting 12:17  |  Marian 03/08/08
  19.   THE WOLF SAYS THE SHEEP ARE OK! HA HA H A 12:22  |  Dungan 03/08/08
  20.   Gazans are People 14:12  |  No To Tyrrany 03/08/08
  21.   No New Greenhouses? Many New Hamas Madrassas! 14:20  |  NO TO Iran/Hamas 03/08/08
  22.   Annex Aza, Expel the Azatim to Egypt & finish all ready! 14:25  |  Mr Transfer 03/08/08
  23.   TO #1, 13 NOBODY CAN HAVE THE HUMOUS AND THE MONEY OF THE HUMOUS… 14:27  |  MOSHEH 03/08/08
  24.   ISRAEL REJECTED IT SINCE THE LAST TWO YEARS 14:33  |  indrajaya 03/08/08
  25.   #9 Margie from South Africa 15:15  |  Labhras 03/08/08
  26.   INDY #24, OFFERING TRUCE BY DAILY QASSAMS IS NOT SO RELEVANT... 15:26  |  MOSHEH 03/08/08
  27.   # 25, MOSHEH 16:13  |  indrajaya 03/08/08
  28.   #26 indrajaya cannot tell the difference between asovereign state 16:43  |  victor hardman 03/08/08
  29.   no matter how bad the situation in Gaza is 17:43  |  rm 03/08/08
  30.   Natallie - another straw man 20:59  |  Where`s waldo 03/08/08
  31.   The Palestinian propoganda machine started to run down 21:06  |  Marco 03/08/08
  32.   it was never close to a crisis 21:12  |  Noor 03/08/08
  33.   Free the border police scapegoat! *_* 23:44  |  Denise Thompson 03/08/08
  34.   Hamas tried to cause a humanitarian crisis. Israel supplying food 00:37  |  Realist 04/08/08
  35.   It is easier to say No than to say yes 00:52  |  Natalie Durson 04/08/08
  36.   IDF must be in their own humanity crisis. 01:52  |  Maureen Ann 04/08/08
  37.   Gaza 08:33  |  Bob 04/08/08
  38.   Funny story 09:46  |  Sarah 04/08/08
  39.   well, of course, he would know better 12:27  |  Murray 04/08/08
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