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The Rafah border crossing, on the Egypt-Gaza border. (AP)
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Last update - 14:27 23/10/2007
Israel worried Egypt will allow terrorists to enter the Gaza Strip
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff , Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Egypt, terrorists, Gaza 

Israel is becoming increasingly worried that Egypt will allow more Palestinian terrorists to enter the Gaza Strip through the Sinai border.

The government and defense establishment are concerned over the closer ties Egypt and the Hamas government are forging in the Strip, as well as Egypt's turning a blind eye to continued smuggling from Sinai to Gaza.

An Israeli government and defense delegation to Cairo recently protested Egypt's allowing gunmen to enter the Strip from its territory.
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At the beginning of October Egypt allowed some 85 Hamas militants to enter the Gaza Strip from Sinai after a wait of a few months. The group reportedly included experts in manufacturing bombs, rockets and mortars, who had undergone extensive training in Iran and Lebanon.

The Palestinian media later reported that the group, which entered the Strip via Rafah and the Philadelphi Route, had been allowed to return in exchange for turning over an Al-Qaida activist from Sinai, whom Hamas had apprehended in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli ministers who visited Cairo during the past few weeks have also raised Jerusalem's concerns at meetings with senior Egyptian officials.

Egypt claims that Israeli soldiers are taking part in weapons smuggling from its territory. According to Palestinian sources, dozens more gunmen are expected to cross into the Strip from Sinai, including some who were trained in Iran.

Meanwhile Israel continues to gather intelligence on smuggling from Sinai to the Gaza Strip, which has greatly increased since Hamas has taken over power. Recently released information indicates that no less than 1,650 RPG rockets and some 6,000 bombs have been smuggled into Gaza since the beginning of the year.

Yuval Diskin, the head of the Shin Bet security service, told the cabinet meeting Sunday that an estimated 73 tons of explosives have been smuggled into Gaza through tunnels since June. Millions of bullets for light weapons and tons of potassium, used to manufacture bombs, have also crossed the Gaza-Sinai border.

Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip have said recently that intensive talks are underway between Hamas and the Egyptian security forces over Hamas' request to allow approximately 100 wounded Palestinians into Egypt to receive medical care. Most of the injured are Hamas members, some of whom were hurt in clashes with Fatah or the Israel Defense Forces.

Hamas Health Minister Bassem Na'im said Monday that Egypt had not yet responsed to the request.

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      1.   Egypt suffers for US/Israel failed policy 03:55  |  Tosefta 23/10/07
      2.   Egypt`s violations highly exaggerated 04:09  |  Tosefta 23/10/07
      3.   concern about egypt 04:18  |  marcel 23/10/07
      4.   US should stop aiding Egypt 04:28  |  Rafa 23/10/07
      5.   Tosefta living in the clouds # 1 and # 2 05:09  |  Fortuna Benmayor 23/10/07
      6.   Egypt should be on US terror-sponsors` list 05:42  |  Fortuna Benmayor 23/10/07
      7.   Sure was worth giving up the Sinai, wasn`t it? 05:48  |  Chaim 23/10/07
      8.   what part of??/ don`t you understand? 05:57  |  VIPER 23/10/07
      9.   RETAKE SINAI,NO MORE TERRORISTS,EGYPT WILL NOT FABRICATE STORIES 06:11  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 23/10/07
      10.   inevitable... 06:31  |  ravi 23/10/07
      11.   voice of moshiac 07:25  |  maria 23/10/07
      12.   THIS IS NOT PEACE: RETAKE SINAI!!! 07:47  |  jeremy 23/10/07
      13.   Egypt-Hamas ties also as part of Egypt-Syria security alliance 08:01  |  Joseph E . 23/10/07
      14.   Tosefta re: `Israeli` involvement 08:16  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/10/07
      15.   # 10 Maria , 08:25  |  Joseph E . 23/10/07
      16.   SCANDAL: Egypt working with democratic government 08:36  |  Amin Issa 23/10/07
      17.   smuggling from Egypt into Gaza 08:51  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/10/07
      18.   Tosefta 09:06  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 23/10/07
      19.   Expect Israeli Medical Association to press for treating wounded 09:47  |  Absolute Sweden 23/10/07
      20.   #7 Giving BACK the Sinai, Chaim, not giving it UP 09:56  |  Johnboy 23/10/07
      21.   But so what... 09:56  |  Stephen Murray 23/10/07
      22.   Then return Gaza to Egypt 09:57  |  Dr David I. Gross 23/10/07
      23.   Making deals 10:03  |  Swiss (Dino) 23/10/07
      24.   A.ISSA Co-operating or contibuting to hostlities. 10:03  |  PETER SM 23/10/07
      25.   LET THE GAZAN RETURN TO WHERE THEY BELONGED 10:11  |  indrajaya 23/10/07
      26.   VIPER."Armed to the teeth" to keep on killing each other 10:13  |  PETER SM 23/10/07
      27.   #8 VIPER or whatever else you`re calling yourself 10:27  |  * BEN JABO 23/10/07
      28.   sovereign succubus... 10:28  |  mikeodd 23/10/07
      29.   And I had thought Egypt was supposed 10:29  |  * BEN JABO 23/10/07
      30.   #!15 Amin Issa 10:33  |  * BEN JABO 23/10/07
      31.   Egypt again 10:34  |  Sabra 23/10/07
      32.   Major ground operation unavoidable 10:59  |  Jonathan S 23/10/07
      33.   If Israel was killing Hamas goons they wouldn`t be trying to come 11:20  |  Absolute Sweden 23/10/07
      34.   Kick the Arabs out 11:23  |  Voice of truth 23/10/07
      35.   AGREED - let them control their border or we`ll RETAKE SINAI! 11:44  |  Michelle 23/10/07
      36.   Return GAZA TO EGYPT 11:45  |  Dr David I. Gross 23/10/07
      37.   Collective punishment 11:51  |  AL 23/10/07
      38.   Orwellian double-speak as the new zionist spracht 12:02  |  Hannah 23/10/07
      39.   A.ISSA So why not work with Hamas &supply electricity,water,food 12:15  |  PETER S .M. 23/10/07
      40.   Maybe Egypt didn`t want to keep them? 12:20  |  English Resident 23/10/07
      41.   Arab`s boolshit has no limits 12:28  |  Victor 23/10/07
      42.   AL London.Qassems on Israeli civillians are collective punishment 12:31  |  PETER S.M. 23/10/07
      43.   #10 maria on #9 Voice of Moshiach 12:36  |  Yonatan 23/10/07
      44.   Trained in Iran and Lebanon? 12:38  |  Tamir Palestine 23/10/07
      45.   #36 AL - There is nothing wrong with collective punishment 12:43  |  Yonatan 23/10/07
      46.   #37 Hannah`s motto - "How I hate" 12:44  |  Yonatan 23/10/07
      47.   JOHNBOYspinning .Israel was prepared to give Sinai without war 12:49  |  PETER S.M. 23/10/07
      48.   But, wait! JB says Israel controls the border 12:49  |  David Teich 23/10/07
      49.   Tamir Palestine 13:08  |  Walid 23/10/07
      50.   INevitable 13:11  |  Alan 23/10/07
      51.   Yonatan 13:23  |  Walid 23/10/07
      52.   Simple Conclusion 13:24  |  MiddleStanian 23/10/07
      53.   Yes, unfotunately, Egypt is still a strategic threat to Israel, 13:26  |  Ephraim 23/10/07
      54.   If Jews expect pity they are dreaming 13:30  |  George Lechter 23/10/07
      55.   Egypt letting in the terrorists 13:38  |  Hilda 23/10/07
      56.   Chaim 13:49  |  Walid 23/10/07
      57.   To Fortuna Benmayor 13:50  |  Egyptian 23/10/07
      58.   Michelle 13:52  |  Walid 23/10/07
      59.   Being TOO smart (Fortuna #5) 14:01  |  Tosefta 23/10/07
      60.   My imprecise terminology (Margie in TA #14) 14:05  |  Tosefta 23/10/07
      61.   To Dr.? DIG 14:05  |  Gazawi 23/10/07
      62.   To Michelle of Jerusalem 14:15  |  Moshe 23/10/07
      63.   David #36 14:19  |  Mark T 23/10/07
      64.   Tamir 14:30  |  Walid 23/10/07
      65.   Tosefta: more imprecision 14:46  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/10/07
      66.   IDF is corrupt. 14:57  |  Pharaoh 23/10/07
      67.   Yonatan 14:58  |  Anne 23/10/07
      68.   border are of Gaza and Egypt 14:59  |  chaim 23/10/07
      69.   No correction (Margie #65) 15:15  |  Tosefta 23/10/07
      70.   Pharoah 15:35  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 23/10/07
      71.   ISRAEL, DUMPING PROBLEM ON ARAB NEIGHBORS 15:40  |  Rann 23/10/07
      72.   #2 I agree, but how can Israel find excuses? 15:48  |  Sharif Hafez 23/10/07
      73.   Maybe Egypt wants to get rid of them 18:00  |  KUTW 23/10/07
      74.   Hannah truth 18:04  |  Observer 23/10/07
      75.   # 70 Margie in Tel Aviv 18:06  |  Joseph E . 23/10/07
      76.   10.ravi : inevitable 18:09  |  KUTW 23/10/07
      77.   #8 Viper 18:10  |  DR 23/10/07
      78.   Ephraim wiping Israel off map 18:13  |  Observer 23/10/07
      79.   21.Dr David I. Gross: Then return Gaza to Egypt 18:14  |  KUTW 23/10/07
      80.   #10 Ravi, you miss several points 18:15  |  DR 23/10/07
      81.