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A Hamas militant armed with a missile launcher in Gaza City on Wednesday. (AP) Last update - 15:27 14/06/2007 Muslim states: No need for multinational force on Gaza-Egypt border By Yoav Stern and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents, and news agencies The Organization of Islamic Conference said Thursday that it does not see the need of a multinational force along the Gaza-Egypt border to help counter Hamas' growing strength. "I think what is needed is not external forces, it needs a better understanding between internal forces," the secretary-general of the 57-strong body, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, told reporters from Malaysia. "I do think that there is a need for a strong leadership on behalf of all political leaders and the situation cannot be allowed to further deteriorate," he said. "The leadership must immediately show its strength and resolution in implementing the necessary action." Advertisement Ihsanoglu said he has been in contact with Abbas and other Palestinian leaders, and has told them to show more strength of leadership. Hamas said Thursday that it would refuse to accept a multinational force along the Gaza-Egypt border and would treat it as an occupying power. "Hamas rejects any dispatch of foreign forces to the Gaza Strip," Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said. "The movement would regard those forces as occupation forces no different to the Israeli occupation, regardless of their nationality." A multinational force in Gaza was suggested by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during separate phone conversations Tuesday with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who in turn discussed it with the Security Council on Wednesday. The deployment of a multinational force along the Philadelphi Route in Rafah, on the Gaza-Egypt border, should be seriously considered, Olmert said Tuesday. The presence of an international force could help curb the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip from Egypt, and halt the ongoing strengthening of the militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Olmert raised the likelihood of such a deployment following the continued internecine violence in the Gaza Strip. Speaking after a meeting with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen, Olmert said that "Western countries need to act soon to alter the situation in the Gaza Strip." Olmert suggested that the multinational force would be similar to the United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. He is likely to raise the idea of a multinational force during his talks with President George Bush in Washington next Tuesday. The idea of a such a force along the Philadelphi Route was proposed by the Foreign Ministry, and was presented during a meeting of the security cabinet three weeks ago, which centered on the situation in the Strip. According to the plan the force would serve to prevent the smuggling of arms from Sinai to the Gaza Strip in coordination with an Egyptian force operating on the Egyptian side of the border. The multinational force is not envisioned to have a role in preventing the clashes between Fatah and Hamas, or ending the Qassam rocket attacks. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni described the arms smuggling as the main "cause of terrorism" in the Gaza Strip, and proposed that the U.S. fund the building of a barrier that will prevent smuggling. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Strip Solidarity More than 1,000 march against the blockade on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. PFLP founder dead George Habash, founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, dies at 81.   1.   Israel vs. Hamastan (Gaza Strip): Furute relations 10:55  |  Avihu 14/06/07   2.   The use of an international peacekeeping force makes sense 11:07  |  Don Camillo 14/06/07   3.   Hamas`s first decision as the ruling power in Gaza 11:18  |  Clickfool 14/06/07   4.   GOOD!!!! 11:24  |  Brant 14/06/07   5.   Olmert and Livni as grave diggers of Israel 11:57  |  Jonathan S 14/06/07   6.   Then ask Egypt to allow at border between Gaza and Eygpt- 12:13  |  Josh 14/06/07   7.   Now why would Hamas want an Int`l force seeing all their crimes?! 12:21  |  Daniel 14/06/07   8.   Hamas`s second decision as the ruling power in Gaza 12:26  |  Zardos 14/06/07   9.   Get Real- World Won`t Do It 12:49  |  Dyinglikeflies 14/06/07   10.   #1, Avihu 12:53  |  Hannah 14/06/07   11.   Well, so much for Olmert`s latest idea 13:01  |  Hannah 14/06/07   12.   UN TROOPS ALONG 1967 IS BETTER 13:41  |  Libowitz 14/06/07   13.   Hamastan 13:41  |  Hilda 14/06/07   14.   There`s a new sherrif in town 13:52  |  Tim 14/06/07   15.   Greetings Hannah(thanks for the message in one of the threads) 14:00  |  lakshmi 14/06/07   16.   Border guards 14:17  |  Marc 14/06/07   17.   Why get concerned about Gaza? 14:25  |  Charley 14/06/07   18.   To Lakshmi (15) 14:39  |  Magnus Kragset 14/06/07   19.   the US should fund the barrier? 14:50  |  Lynn 14/06/07   20.   UN would need to take control of all occupied territories 15:00  |  Jens 14/06/07   21.   to # 19 15:30  |  Clickfan 14/06/07   22.   #1 - Confused Israeli 15:42  |  Double Click 14/06/07   23.   Hamas taking over Gaza 16:06  |  Nechama 14/06/07   24.   CFOOL You were saying that Israel did not want it! 16:13  |  PETER SM 14/06/07   25.   Hannah#10 - poor sad myopic being re:avihu 16:23  |  William 14/06/07   26.   Lakshmi #15 - I would laugh if not so sad 16:28  |  William 14/06/07   27.   But Let`s Internationalize Jerusalem 16:35  |  Tex 14/06/07   28.   #12, Libowitz 16:36  |  Hannah 14/06/07   29.   #15, Lakshmi 16:49  |  Hannah 14/06/07   30.   #15 lakshmi - you are overshadowing clickfool 16:51  |  CK Tan 14/06/07   31.   #18, Magnus 16:54  |  Hannah 14/06/07   32.   Thank you Bush and Condi 16:58  |  Chick Corea 14/06/07   33.   Of Course!! 17:05  |  MP 14/06/07   34.   Reality, Once Again, Slaps Israel 17:09  |  Tony Anthony 14/06/07   35.   lakshmi: Are you a man or a woman? Your style is very close to 18:18  |  Vittorio 14/06/07   36.   egypt now gets a problem of its making 18:28  |  ralph 14/06/07   37.   Never would have happened without the boycott 18:28  |  Tim 14/06/07   38.   No Peace Till All Theocrats -- Esp. Iran -- Diarmed 18:28  |  Maynard 14/06/07   39.   problem partially of egypts making so deserve this problem 18:40  |  ralph 14/06/07   40.   boycoott a false excuse all knew these thugs would fight it out 19:42  |  ralph 14/06/07   41.   Olmert go to 19:51  |  Sidney 14/06/07   42.   Gaza to Egypt, WB to Jordan, Disarm Iran & Syria Now. 21:36  |  Solon 14/06/07   43.   force on Gaza Egypt border 00:06  |  dream buster 27/01/08

Today Online Israel demands that Egypt restore order at Gaza-Egypt border Responses: 690 Militants who raided yeshiva were recently released criminals Responses: 261 Editorial: The siege of Gaza has failed Responses: 336 U.S. pushes UN to condemn Qassam rocket fire for first time Responses: 343 Richard Silverstein: Seeking liberal Jewish bloggers Responses: 106 Rosner's Domain McCain using support for Israel to court Jews - and Christians Ambassador vs. Ambassador: Is Obama good for Israel? Huckabee: WMD from Iraq is in Jordan (WTR) Poll: How important is Israel in the 2008 election? Factor: Clinton and McCain, head to head More Headlines 23:01 Israel demands that Egypt restore order at Gaza-Egypt border 23:31 Abbas: No talks with Hamas despite Gaza border chaos 00:07 Palestinians: PFLP founder George Habash dies at 81 00:11 Umm al-Fahm turns out lights, Israelis rally against Gaza siege 17:01 In remembrance of Holocaust, UN chief Ban says 'never again' 17:58 Israeli duo of Ram, Erlich win Australian Open doubles title 23:34 Palestinian stabs Border Policeman in north Jerusalem attack 20:00 Libya withholds support for UN draft condemning Qassam fire 20:28 Peres to Turkish FM: Israel targets only Gaza terrorists, not civilians 13:04 Abbas to press Olmert on lifting Gaza blockade, control of crossings Previous Editions Select Day 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan

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