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Last update - 18:39 31/05/2009
Barak: There is neither hunger nor crisis in Gaza
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Shin Bet, Hamas, Gaza Strip 

Defense Minister Ehud Barak told the cabinet on Sunday that he felt that there was no crisis in the Gaza Strip.

"There is no hunger or crisis in Gaza," he said during a security briefing. "More supplies pass through the border crossings today than did during some points of the last cease-fire. Only sensitive materials or construction materials are not transferred in."

Shin Bet security service Chief Yuval Diskin also briefed the cabinet "An ongoing improvement has been felt in the Egyptian efforts to curb arms smuggling along the Philadelphi route," he said, referring to a strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border.
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The Shin Bet director explained that the Egyptians replace the forces stationed at the border every few months to prevent soldiers from becoming too attached to the local population, and that several Egyptian officers have already been arrested on suspicion of having taken bribes.

Diskin also addressed the situation within Gaza, saying that tensions were rising between Hamas' political leadership and the organization's military wing. According to Diskin, the political leadership wants to engage in public relations and the military wing wants to arm itself and to achieve maximum results in efforts to gain the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

Diskin added that Hamas' "Damascus-based political leaders side with the military wing."

Diskin also remarked that the chances that the Palestinian will successfully establish a unity government were very small, and that tensions raged between the factions over the elections and security issues.

Shin Bet: Hamas cracking down on Gaza rockets, but arming itself

Diskin also explained to the cabinet that Hamas was working to stop militants in Gaza from firing rockets at Israel, it was nevertheless taking the opportunity to reinforce its own strength in the coastal territory.

"Hamas is working against rocket fire from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, but is simultaneously building its own force within Gaza and is trying to expand its rocket range, both through internal manufacture and the smuggling of proper weapons from Egypt," Diskin told ministers at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

The Shin Bet director added that Hamas was a particular interest in maintaining calm in the Gaza Strip at this time.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the briefing by emphasizing that while the current cease-fire between Israel and Gaza was nearly absolute, it was still fragile and threatened by Hamas' participation in arms smuggling.

"We are asked at all times to ease conditions for the Gaza population, to let in materials and equipment," Netanyahu said. "But we have other interests in the Strip, and those have to do with security."

"We do not want to strengthen Hamas, not in its capability, not in prevention, and not economically," he added. "We want [abducted Israeli soldier] Gilad Shalit back. We are examining the matter of border crossings and trying to find the balance between easing conditions for civilians while preventing Hamas' rearmament."

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      1.   Smuggling has never been stopped in the history of the world 16:07  |  Natallie Durson 31/05/09
      2.   it`s never going to be enough 16:27  |  rm 31/05/09
      3.   It`s never going to be enough 16:31  |  rm 31/05/09
      4.   after cast lead who wouldnt ? 16:51  |  muslim-- 31/05/09
      5.   rm 17:29  |  Jasper 31/05/09
      6.   hunger nor crisis 18:25  |  tvdb 31/05/09
      7.   Muslim 4 18:26  |  ChanahS 31/05/09
      8.   and Shalit.... 18:41  |  cesare 31/05/09
      9.   ChanahS # 7 easy answer 18:50  |  American in NY 31/05/09
      10.   No, Thank God, everything is fine. 18:54  |  Doreen 31/05/09
      11.   failed policies 19:07  |  D13 31/05/09
      12.   Oh my 19:13  |  Jan 31/05/09
      13.   Barak is right 19:13  |  Bazmann 31/05/09
      14.   Israeli Government 19:15  |  Iain 31/05/09
      15.   #7, ChanahS.... 19:17  |  Silvienne 31/05/09
      16.   ChannahS - You impose a siege, what do you expect? 19:19  |  Observer 31/05/09
      17.   Natallie D living on the moon, try smuggling 19:58  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 31/05/09
      18.   Just a little bit Bantustan? 20:20  |  fritz t. 31/05/09
      19.   All the evidence shows this to be an outright LIE 20:27  |  Ari 31/05/09
      20.   Life is just dandy! 20:46  |  Bazmann 31/05/09
      21.   Smuggling has always been carried out... 20:50  |  Silvienne 31/05/09
      22.   I trust the Red Cross or Amnesty International 20:57  |  U.S. Citizen 31/05/09
      23.   Observer 16 21:02  |  ChanahS 31/05/09
      24.   They are getting on with their Normal Life in this world 21:39  |  American in NY 31/05/09
      25.   Hamas freedom fighters? terrorists from the 15th century using 22:05  |  another American -NY 31/05/09
      26.   American in NY 22:25  |  American in LA 31/05/09
      27.   Darth Zaider (Ed) 22:28  |  Natallie Durson 31/05/09
      28.   Some denials are ok? 22:30  |  Historian 31/05/09
      29.   Isolation = crisis 22:33  |  Jan Elshout 31/05/09
      30.   U.S. Citizen 22:34  |  American in LA 31/05/09
      31.   Egypt`s Gaza siege 22:50  |  yona 31/05/09
      32.   Barak was considering moving to Gaza, a paradise on earth 23:32  |  Natallie Durson 31/05/09
      33.   Barak 00:01  |  Chance 01/06/09
      34.   it remains but to spread this positive state of affairs to WB 00:06  |  avi melekh 01/06/09
      35.   Natallie D: conviently changing the topic of fiscussion to Jews. 00:13  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 01/06/09
      36.   American in LA- right, Pollard is the mirror image of Iraeli Arab 00:14  |  American in NY 01/06/09
      37.   2nd try to point out why Barak is sayng this now 08:40  |  Johnboy 01/06/09
      38.   open air prison inspection!! jailer investigates his own jail 09:04  |  muslim-- 01/06/09
      39.   Historian # 28 demanding something that is already happening 17:00  |  Darth Zaider (Ed) 01/06/09
      40.   Darth Zaider... 02:11  |  Silvienne 02/06/09
      41.   #38, Muslim is quite correct... 02:12  |  Silvienne 02/06/09
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