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Last update - 16:29 26/05/2008 Hamas: Israel must open Rafah crossing for truce talks to succeed By The Associated Press Tags: Gaza Strip, Rafah crossing  Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan on Monday accused Israel of putting obstacles in front of Egyptian efforts to achieve a ceasefire between Israel and the militant group by refusing to open the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. "The Rafah border must be opened as part of the calm," Radwan said, repeating Hamas' demand that Egypt open the crossing if Israel doesn't. Although the Rafah crossing lies on the Gaza-Egypt border, the passage has been closed because Europeans monitoring the crossing require Israeli security clearance to operate. That clearance has not been given since Hamas took over Gaza. Advertisement The Hamas statement came after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting that Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt will not be opened for the time being, according to a participant at the meeting. Hamas wants the crossing reopened and a role in monitoring the border - a concession that would be tantamount to recognizing the Islamic group's rule of Gaza. Egypt has rejected that demand, and called for a return to the 2005 agreement that gives Israel and EU monitors a supervisory role. The breakdown of the indirect truce talks would increase the likelihood that Israel would launch a threatened major military operation in Gaza against rocket and mortar squads. Olmert reiterated such a possibility in his remarks before the committee on Monday, meeting participants said. In January, Hamas militants frustrated by the Israeli blockade blew holes in the border wall with Egypt at Rafah, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to stream out of Gaza unchecked and stock up on food, fuel and other goods made scarce by the blockade. Egypt sealed the border less than two weeks later. Olmert told lawmakers that Israel would continue to open other Gaza crossings to humanitarian aid. "We won't allow optimal conditions in Gaza, but we won't allow starvation, nor will we prevent medicines from entering Gaza," he was quoted as saying. Palestinians have carried out a series of attacks on Israeli frontier terminals in the past two weeks, most recently a failed suicide truck bombing carried out by Islamic Jihad last week at the main passage for Gazans seeking medical treatment. Palestinian officials on Monday said that around 200,000 people in northern Gaza are without running water or power as a result of the truck bombing.. The explosion cut two of the seven major power lines that come in from Israel, and the IDF has launched concerted efforts to repair the damaged lines. Israel already restricts fuel supplies to Gaza to pressure Palestinian militants to stop their attacks. That has meant northern residents can't use electric generators or pump water from wells. On Monday, an Islamic Jihad spokesman said the group didn't mean to cut off power but warned of more attacks Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Shampoo' meets 'Munich' New Adam Sandler film stars Mossad hit man turned hairdresser. Rehab (live) Report: Singer Amy Winehouse is to undergo drug rehab in Israel.

Read & React Report: Carter says Israel has 150 nuclear weapons Responses: 139 Anaysis / Price of quiet in Lebanon is Hezbollah in power Responses: 34 Shin Bet chief: Hamas threat increasing Responses: 33 U.S. professor gives Israeli prize money to Palestinian university Responses: 90 Rosner's Domain Explaining Hagee's Holocaust remarks Poll: Peace between Israel & Syria? Should American Jews Embrace Living Double Lives? Rosner's Guests: can "decisive victory" against guerilla achieved? Blame the Israel Lobby for Clinton's loss? (WTR) More Headlines 15:02 Sources: Major progress in Hezbollah-Israel talks over missing IDF soldiers 15:54 Report: Carter says Israel has 150 nuclear weapons 13:54 Olmert: Only those hallucinating think we'll keep post-'67 borders 11:57 Shin Bet chief: Hamas rocket threat from Gaza is mounting 16:26 Negev farmers on Gaza border block goods into Strip to protest rocket fire 13:43 Palestinians reject Israeli offer to hand over 91.5% of W. Bank 13:45 U.S. prof. gives Israeli prize money to Palestinian university 15:34 Red Cross urges Israel to allow Palestinian prisoners family visits 14:23 ANALYSIS / Gaza truce appears to be inching farther away 11:02 Israel: UNIFIL is ignoring Hezbollah violations in south Lebanon 09:48 Netanyahu, on Syria talks: Peace with dictatorial state won't last 14:31 21-year-old confesses to murder of his father in J'lem home Previous Editions Select Day 25 may 23 may 22 may 21 may 20 may 19 may 18 may 16 may 15 may 14 may 13 may 12 may

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