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Jordanian men chants anti-Israel slogans during a demonstration in support for Gaza in Amman, Monday. (AP) Last update - 10:27 22/01/2008 Israel fears int'l pressure to hand over Gaza borders to PA control By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Hamas, Gaza, PA, Israel There is growing concern in Israel that the recent tightening of sanctions against the Gaza Strip will result in international pressure to transfer control of the border crossings into the Strip to the Palestinian Authority. PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad had proposed during last month's donor nations conference in Paris that Palestinian forces not affiliated with the rival Hamas and Fatah factions take over operations at the crossing points. Fayyad is also considering the possibility of involving private international companies specializing in border crossings, who would assist PA officials in running them. I Advertisement n recent weeks Fayyad has been hard at work trying to convince the U.S. administration, the United Nations and the European Union of the merit of his idea. Political sources in Jerusalem said Monday that the idea is enjoying growing international support. Senior U.S. officials have sent a number of memos to Israeli counterparts describing Fayyad's idea as "creative and worth a serious look." Israeli sources quoted American officials saying that "Fayyad is a person we completely trust and if he is proposing such an idea it is worthwhile to assist him and approach the matter favorably." Fayyad's proposal also enjoys the support of many European states, including Britain, Spain, France and the Netherlands. Reflecting on the effect on international public opinion of the recent blockade in response to the Qassam attacks, visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said Monday that "the pressure on the civilian population will not help solve the Qassam rockets, but will only result in greater support for Hamas. "Israel must find a way to cooperate with Abu Mazen [PA President Mahmoud Abbas] and Fayyad to reopen the crossings," Verhagen said. At this stage Israel has reservations about Fayyad's proposal, but has not rejected it. One of the arguments against the proposal is that Hamas will utilize the transfer of control to increase its strength and break out of the international isolation imposed on the group. "Opening the crossings by Fayyad, without coordination with Hamas, is impossible," a senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem said Monday. "Opening the crossings with the agreement of Hamas means the group is granted legitimacy. This can only result in a weakening of Fayyad and a bolstering of Hamas," the same source added. Another Israeli concern is that agreeing to Fayyad's proposal may lead to an irreversible situation, making it impossible to use closures as leverage in response to Qassam rocket attacks. "This will not solve a thing and the Qassams will continue to fall," the senior political source explained. "But then the closures will run into even more severe international reaction." Pressure on Israel to end the blockade on the Gaza Strip intensified Monday, with Israeli ambassadors in many of the world's capitals being summoned to the local foreign ministries for clarifications on the situation. Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip have been perceived, particularly in Europe, as an exercise in collective punishment. Slovenia's Foreign Minister, Dimitrij Rupel, whose country currently holds the EU Presidency, talked with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and informed her of pressure to issue a statement on behalf of the EU condemning Israel. Related articles: Barak: Gaza to get one-time fuel, medicine delivery PA lawmaker to Abbas: Break off peace talks in light of fuel cuts Gaza power plant shuts down due to fuel blockade Gazans struggle to keep warm facing fuel, electricity shortages IDF allows transfer of vital medicine into the Gaza Strip Palestinians: One killed in IAF strike on northern Gaza Strip Bookmark to del.icio.us   The father of the victim Father of terror victim slams Olmert for letting PA try the killers. And you're out German hip-hop artist thrown off reality show over Hitler salute.   1.   who thinks this would work?? 03:27  |  vik 22/01/08   2.   Why is Government of Israel concerned? Do not give control! 03:43  |  Genuine Tosefta 22/01/08   3.   "Creative" proposal...... 03:50  |  Shalom 22/01/08   4.   crossings control 04:04  |  Shmuelshachor 22/01/08   5.   policy bakfired 04:21  |  paulo2005 22/01/08   6.   real independence for Gaza ! They will keep Israel Jewish enough 04:26  |  z 22/01/08   7.   Short Memo to Livni and Olmert 04:48  |  Tod Zuckerman 22/01/08   8.   border crossing 05:08  |  Ben Blustein jr 22/01/08   9.   Ignore any EU state not providing substantial aid to Sderot 05:16  |  Dr. L. Brnd 22/01/08   10.   Short Memo to Livni and Olmert 05:39  |  Giora 22/01/08   11.   Surrender Of Israeli Sovereignty Is High Treason 05:40  |  Norman F Birnberg 22/01/08   12.   Border crossings 05:45  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 22/01/08   13.   Israel should be very concerned based on previous 05:49  |  Petra 22/01/08   14.   Sometimes you just have to laugh!!! 05:54  |  Johnboy 22/01/08   15.   Fayyad? Anyone remember the Karine Arms Ship? 05:57  |  Mike 22/01/08   16.   Transfer control of Israeli crossings to PA? Are you nuts?! 06:17  |  Gili 22/01/08   17.   Genuine Tosefta - a quick reply 06:45  |  CK Tan (on vacation) 22/01/08   18.   Both the PA and the Saudis have blamed Hamas for the situaton 07:45  |  redmike 22/01/08   19.   US knows of iraeli evil 08:41  |  Joe Pantom 22/01/08   20.   Israel has already a Egypt weapon smuggling problem 09:36  |  Joseph E . 22/01/08   21.   Gaza should be treated like any border to a different country 09:48  |  De 22/01/08   22.   Terror Hamas-Fatah conduct in this arab urban terror 09:48  |  Joseph E . 22/01/08   23.   Hamas` Isolation 09:52  |  Paulo 22/01/08   24.   Private Secrity Companies? NO NO NO NO 09:54  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/01/08   25.   Private Security Companies? NO NO NO NO 09:54  |  Mark of Lewiston 22/01/08   26.   Do not allow this. Not now. 10:49  |  Vital 22/01/08   27.   Gaza`s closure. 10:59  |  sandra chitayat. 22/01/08   28.   A NATION OF THIEVES 11:40  |  indrajaya 22/01/08   29.   ISRAEL WANTS EVERYTHING ITS HAND: PALESTINIAN LIVES AND PROPERTY 11:53  |  TrippleJump 22/01/08   30.   Israel`s borders? I don`t think so! No 11 12:01  |  Palestinian Brit 22/01/08   31.   It really would be better if Israel resolved this itself 12:02  |  Outsider 22/01/08   32.   what does this person israel look like triple jump? 12:09  |  v hardman 22/01/08   33.   Despite the risks, maybe the time has come to set Gaza free. 12:15  |  Michael 22/01/08   34.   Israel needs to sever gaza from us permanently 12:38  |  Dror 22/01/08   35.   Sooner or Later.....Why not NOW? 12:42  |  Harry 22/01/08   36.   Usual leftist drivel, does anyone realize that Gaza has a border 12:50  |  Judith, Haifa 22/01/08   37.   " O Gaza !when will the civilised World see you FREE? 13:02  |  Noeline 22/01/08   38.   re#23 Paulo from another dimension !!! 13:07  |  Alberto Cohen 22/01/08   39.   Giving PA control of crossings.. 13:34  |  Nemesis 22/01/08   40.   Hamas is the legal gouvernement of the Pals 13:38  |  Fritz T. 22/01/08   41.   Please elaborate on the situation 13:52  |  Dror 22/01/08   42.   v hardman#32: ISRAEL IS AN UGLY MONSTER 13:55  |  TrippleJump 22/01/08   43.   Keep the border crossings under israeli control 13:56  |  Joey 22/01/08   44.   If Israel wants rockets 2 stop, Stop targeting them daily 13:59  |  Nadine 22/01/08   45.   Noeline 37 14:02  |  Nadine 22/01/08   46.   There`s Two Sides To This 14:15  |  Jeff Northridge 22/01/08   47.   gaza borders exept philadelphy coridor are with israel, 14:15  |  vladimir 22/01/08   48.   shmuelshahor in rio 14:19  |  vladimir 22/01/08   49.   PICTURE SHOWS screaming Arab hypocrit.They massacred Pals by the 14:52  |  PETER SM 22/01/08   50.   Olmert says that he has learned since Lebanon 2006... 15:41  |  bat yam 22/01/08   51.   # 23 Paulo ...support for Hamas 16:34  |  Lynn 22/01/08   52.   # 37 Noelime ....why aren`t YOU 16:38  |  Lynn 22/01/08   53.   # 45 Nadine...what is holding up 16:40  |  Lynn 22/01/08   54.   I thought Israel was no longer occupying gaza? 16:46  |  American 22/01/08   55.   #42 triple jump there is no palestine ! 16:54  |  v hardman 22/01/08   56.   # 54, AMERICAN 16:59  |  indrajaya 22/01/08   57.   The noose is slowly tightening round this evil state!Bit by bit 17:14  |  lakshmi 22/01/08   58.   indrajaya #28 nation`s of thieves would describe all muslim and 17:39  |  terrornator 22/01/08   59.   American # 54 That Does Not Follow 18:03  |  Jeff Northridge 22/01/08   60.   Iakshmi # 57 Which Monster? 18:11  |  Jeff Northridge 22/01/08   61.   Invade Gaza, destroy Hamas NO control to terror entity PA 21:07  |  Mark Hamil 22/01/08   62.   #14 johnboy historical european attitudes on israel 21:09  |  duncan 22/01/08   63.   "... in greater support for Hamas." So what? It`s nothing new 21:09  |  Jason 22/01/08   64.   the judeo/christian-pals conflict is in many 23:25  |  bozhidar balkas 22/01/08   65.   What happened to the fiction ? 23:53  |  Truths 22/01/08   66.   Hamas said it would consider taking over border 23:54  |  news 22/01/08   67.   TRUTHSThe Mother of ALL lies"The Pals owned Palestine".SeeTwain- 00:12  |  PETER SM 23/01/08   68.   JOHNBOY you are a laugh!! You discover the collective punishment 00:31  |  PETER SM 23/01/08   69.   TRIPPLE JUMP YOUR GOVERNMENT HAMAS CHARTER SAYS OBLITERATE ISRAEL 00:35  |  PETER SM 23/01/08   70.   Jeff Northridge 00:38  |  Polybios 23/01/08   71.   TRIPPLE JUMP YOU MEAN PALESTINIAN LIKE ARAFAT THE EGYPTIAN 00:42  |  PETER SM 23/01/08   72.   # 54. America does not control border with Mexico. 01:32  |  Stephen. 23/01/08   73.   #62 Oh, spare me duncan 01:57  |  Johnboy 23/01/08   74.   @71, peter s. m. is not great it is greatest ripruff of the world 02:04  |  vladimir 23/01/08   75.   #46 Jeff Northridge in Laa-Laa-Land 02:06  |  Johnboy 23/01/08   76.   to Genuine Tosefta #2 02:11  |  zeev 23/01/08   77.   No. 9 Brnd 02:35  |  Steve 23/01/08   78.   No. 56 indrajaya 02:41  |  Steve 23/01/08   79.   The morning censor 03:15  |  Mark Lincoln 23/01/08   80.   DUMB, DUMB, DUMB 03:27  |  Nechama 23/01/08   81.   Terror Against innocent Collective Israeli people 03:38  |  Jerome 23/01/08   82.   Stephen - the US/Mexican border 03:42  |  Mark Lincoln 23/01/08   83.   #68 One crime begats another, hey PETER SM 04:54  |  Johnboy 23/01/08   84.   to PETER SM #67 05:03  |  zeev 23/01/08   85.   No 79 Mark Lincoln 05:08  |  Steve 23/01/08   86.   Johnboy #75 05:55  |  Polybios 23/01/08   87.   Peter Sm and Twain 06:09  |  Truths 23/01/08   88.   Gaza borders to PA control. 06:11  |  Mr. Hamad 23/01/08   89.   Peter SM and pathetic arguments 06:12  |  Truth 23/01/08   90.   International monitors in real time. 06:49  |  Dudka 23/01/08   91.   Indrayaya 09:26  |  Benny L 23/01/08   92.   #83 johnboy when international law breaks down 13:14  |  duncan 23/01/08   93.   Act like men not like scared cows 02:02  |  Jack 24/01/08   94.   Jack # 93 its easy 15:25  |  American in NY 24/01/08

Today Online High Court of Justice to hold urgent hearing on Gaza blockade Responses: 227 Gaza source: Hamas planned border wall blast for months Responses: 129 Canada to skip UN racism meet due to 'anti-Semitism' Responses: 126 Yossi Beilin: Here's to Prime Minister Livni, Foreign Min. Olmert Responses: 16 Rami Livni: Bi-national state would only perpetuate suffering Responses: 20 Rosner's Domain Who's better for Israel, Clinton or McCain? Obama: Israel was forced to close Gaza (WTR) Actor Jon Voight: Every Jew must vote for Giuliani (WTR) New poll: How important is Israel in the 2008 election? Domain's Guest: "all Jews are responsible for one another" More Headlines 15:11 PM completely freezes new construction in West Bank settlements 15:21 Egypt rejects idea of Israel waiving responsibility for Gaza 15:16 High Court to hold urgent hearing on Gaza blockade 14:15 Burns, in Israel, says new Iran resolution will be punitive 05:52 Canada to skip UN racism conference due to expected 'anti-Semitism' 15:30 UN rights council slams Israel's 'grave violations' in Gaza Strip 12:43 AG to announce Sunday decision on reopening probe into Oct. 2000 riots 14:08 First commercial flight from Albania to land at B-G Airport Thurs. 14:58 Dollar continues to drop, falling another 0.8 percent to NIS 3.680 12:45 Hamas court sentences policeman to death for family feud killing Previous Editions Select Day 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan 10 jan

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