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Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh waving upon his return to the Gaza Strip on Thursday. (Reuters)
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Report: Egypt let Haniyeh bring $20 million into Gaza via Rafah
By Avi Issacharof, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

An Egyptian customs official told the Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram on Saturday that Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh brought $20 million into the Gaza Strip with Egyptian approval.

According to the official, Haniyeh acted in accordance with Egyptian law and declared the money in his possession.

A European Union official at the Rafah Crossing told Israel Radio, however, that when Haniyeh arrived at the crossing Thursday, Egyptian officials reported that he was not carrying any foreign funds.
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Haniyeh and his aides underwent unprecedented security measures that were meant to ensure that they were not bringing in money or weapons when he returned to Gaza from a pilgrimage to Islam's holiest city Mecca.

Palestinian security sources confirmed Friday that senior Hamas official Nizar Rayan also entered the Gaza Strip with $6 million, the radio reported, although Rayan has denied bringing in funds.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during their Thursday meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh that Egyptian law does not allow the confiscation of foreign funds, so long as they are properly declared.

An unnamed government minister told Israel Radio he will ask Olmert for details on the issue in Sunday's weekly cabinet meeting. According to the minister, Israel has been steadfast on preventing money transfers to Hamas - an end to which Israel has also been able to garner the support of European Union countries.

The strict security measures were planned by representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the United States and the EU.

Representatives of the four parties met in Jerusalem on Wednesday to coordinate security arrangements concluded during Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas nearly two weeks ago. They also discussed the operation of the Rafah crossing between Sinai and Gaza in anticipation of Haniyeh's arrival.

In accordance with the agreed-upon arrangements, the Saudi Arabian aircraft carrying Haniyeh landed in El-Arish and underwent a detailed security inspection by a joint American-Egyptian team, in the presence of Nizami Muhane, the PA official responsible for the border crossings. The team was to confiscate any weapons or money.

Afterward, Egypt informed the EU monitors at Rafah that Haniyeh and his aides are "clean" of both weapons and money, and they were transferred to the border in Egyptian vehicles.

After completing the rudimentary inspection reserved for VIPs, Haniyeh and his entourage entered Gaza in four armored vehicles belonging to the office of the PA chairman.

Two weeks ago, Haniyeh was delayed for seven hours at Rafah after trying to enter Gaza carrying large sums of cash donated to Hamas during his visit to Iran and other Muslim countries that support the organization.

He was ultimately allowed to enter Gaza only after surrendering the cash to aides in Egypt. Both Abbas and Israel are trying to avoid a repetition of this scenario, which resulted in tensions among Fatah and Hamas, and also elevated Haniyeh to the status of hero among Hamas supporters
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  1.   ther dividends of SHARONS STUPIDITYare arriving 12:26  |  paul harris 06/01/07
  2.   "Egypt let Haniyeh bring $20 million into Gaza" the headline ... 12:26  |  Nadav 06/01/07
  3.   Good for Palestinians 13:05  |  EU observer 06/01/07
  4.   Egypt did the right thing 13:06  |  Fatah 06/01/07
  5.   Kudos to the Egyptians 13:13  |  David James Vickery 06/01/07
  6.   And in addition.... 13:20  |  David James Vickery 06/01/07
  7.   Money 13:23  |  Joe 06/01/07
  8.   Egypt let Haniyeh bring $20 million into Gaza 13:44  |  lorie 06/01/07
  9.   #3 EU Observer 13:50  |  Disgusted 06/01/07
  10.   Poor Palestinians 13:54  |  Simone 06/01/07
  11.   Hamas, Funds, US, and Egypt 13:56  |  Arabi 06/01/07
  12.   Shame on you, Egypt, for not adehering to agreements with Israel 13:57  |  Petra 06/01/07
  13.   This is not your business.... 13:59  |  Fritz 06/01/07
  14.   NO ONE TO BLAME BUT ISRAEL`S LEADERS! 14:11  |  EVEN 06/01/07
  15.   confiscateit 14:28  |  randolf 06/01/07
  16.   Fritz, I do not know to whom you refer in your note, but I would 14:30  |  Nadav 06/01/07
  17.   confiscateit 2 14:30  |  randolf 06/01/07
  18.   To Disgusted #9 14:40  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 06/01/07
  19.   Nothing wrong 14:42  |  JJ 06/01/07
  20.   Is anyone suprised that Israel was betrayed by Egypt? 14:49  |  Sarit 06/01/07
  21.   For Petra # 12 14:49  |  Clickfool 06/01/07
  22.   How the Zionists are squealing 14:53  |  Clickfool 06/01/07
  23.   PHILADELPHI RT, NEEDS TO BE RE-OCCUPIED 15:05  |  Like it is 06/01/07
  24.   miney 15:07  |  vince 06/01/07
  25.   to clickfool 15:08  |  randolf 06/01/07
  26.   JEWS NEED TO REBUILD AND RETURN TO GUSH KATIF 15:09  |  Law and Order 06/01/07
  27.   Build your own capital 15:16  |  Jerry D 06/01/07
  28.   For Sarit # 20 15:22  |  Clickfool 06/01/07
  29.   #22 15:22  |  Jerry D 06/01/07
  30.   It is time Egypt warmed up its "peace" with Israel 15:33  |  Marcel 06/01/07
  31.   Nothing to Worry About 15:33  |  Rollin 06/01/07
  32.   #22 WHICH ONES ARE THE ZIONISTS CLIKKY 15:33  |  paul harris 06/01/07
  33.   Rafah border is becoming the Millionier gate 15:36  |  Tamir Gaza 06/01/07
  34.   #11 Arabi, You were not an Arab, ask your mother 15:37  |  Simone 06/01/07
  35.   One Idea... 15:43  |  Ronnie Wolman 06/01/07
  36.   #3 15:45  |  Jerry D 06/01/07
  37.   #20 I Agree...Why the Surprise? 15:48  |  Tony Anthony 06/01/07
  38.   THERE WILL NEVER BE, AND MUST NEVER BE A "PALESTINIAN STATE" 16:03  |  Law and Order 06/01/07
  39.   Simone and the poorpals 16:07  |  Amir 06/01/07
  40.   Tzipi Livni, must be never permited to become a PM 16:08  |  get some lessons 06/01/07
  41.   Money is not for food, but for WEAPONS 16:16  |  albert amato 06/01/07
  42.   # 15 # 17 U have long nose to be cut away! 16:20  |  Simone 06/01/07
  43.   I doubt it 16:33  |  Lebanese in Canada 06/01/07
  44.   To Petra re: Shame 16:39  |  David James Vickery 06/01/07
  45.   Head of the snake 17:13  |  * BEN JABO 06/01/07
  46.   #29 never a Pal state!! 17:31  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  47.   #26 Tamir-Gaza (London) re:EGYPTIAN ASP 17:34  |  * BEN JABO 06/01/07
  48.   #23 you want to starve the pals 17:39  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  49.   20 Ronnie Wolman - Missing $14 Million 18:12  |  Mark of Lewiston 06/01/07
  50.   # 38 Jump off that horse, it ain`t going anywhere 18:29  |  ChanahS 06/01/07
  51.   SIMONE 18:33  |  The Judge 06/01/07
  52.   FOOD FOR THOUGHT 18:33  |  TOBIA 06/01/07
  53.   LAND NOT STOLEN BALLISTIC 18:51  |  TOBIA 06/01/07
  54.   David James Vickery - And how old are you? And why age should be 19:06  |  Petra 06/01/07
  55.   #43 Er, US sent money and will send more 19:08  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  56.   Dirtbags Egyptians 19:08  |  SLAVO 06/01/07
  57.   TO BALLISTIC 19:09  |  THE JUDGE 06/01/07
  58.   #46 Hi Tobia; I read your post 19:11  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  59.   #45 why do you care, it`s not your money 19:16  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  60.   Ballistic #39 ....NOSIREE 20:05  |  albert amato 06/01/07
  61.   BEN JABO 20:37  |  Tamir Gaza 06/01/07
  62.   like it is.....like they are gonna listen to your stupid advice 20:44  |  Tamir Gaza 06/01/07
  63.   #43 Chanah response 20:59  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  64.   Starving Palestinians 21:04  |  Oh please 06/01/07
  65.   # 43 is meant for # 39. They keep moving the cheese. 21:07  |  ChanahS 06/01/07
  66.   # 48 Tamir Gaza 21:09  |  ChanahS 06/01/07
  67.   Bravo for Egypt its about time they did the right thing 21:31  |  Guy From NYC 06/01/07
  68.   #51 Hey Chanah 21:31  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  69.   egypt 21:33  |  baracuda 06/01/07
  70.   TO 6 21:35  |  mijou 06/01/07
  71.   BAllistic 21:50  |  TOBIA 06/01/07
  72.   Tobia #46 21:52  |  JJ 06/01/07
  73.   #47 to the judge 21:55  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  74.   #61 Tobia response 22:07  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  75.   #61 Tobia, 2nd reply 22:11  |  ballistic 06/01/07
  76.   57 # Bravo for Egypt its about time they did the right thing 22:19  |  Arik 06/01/07
  77.   Haniyeh get some money , buy some weapons , hire some pals 22:58  |  Joseph E . 06/01/07
  78.   Didnt israel claim they LEFT Gaza?? 23:24  |  Ali 06/01/07
  79.   Hanyeh remids me on Arafat only 23:40  |  dzone 06/01/07
  80.   #11Arabi 00:29  |  Lynn 07/01/07
  81.   Egypt`s failed its commitment...Hamas failed Palestinians 01:11  |  Marwan مروان خوري 07/01/07
 &n