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Last update - 19:50 20/06/2008
Hamas: Arms smuggling to continue despite Gaza truce
By Reuters
Tags: Israel, cease fire, Hamas 

Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh said Friday that the Islamist group would not stop smuggling activities in the territory.

A halt to smuggling is a central Israeli demand in an Egyptian-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect Thursday morning.

Militant groups smuggle arms and ammunitions into Gaza through tunnels across the border with Egypt and on boats along the coast. Israel has also demanded Egypt step up efforts stop the flow of arms from its territory into Gaza.
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"We cannot talk about stopping smuggling because it is something beyond our ability as a government and we did not give a commitment in this regard," Haniyeh told worshippers before Friday prayers in Gaza City.

Haniyeh also said Hamas would not to impose the truce by force on other Gaza militant groups, but added that other groups had agreed to the deal voluntarily.

Egypt, who spent months working on the cease-fire agreement, said it would step up efforts to crack down on smuggling.

Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office, said the ceasefire agreement included an end to attacks on Israel by all militant groups and a complete end to arms smuggling.

"Anyone who says otherwise apparently wants to destroy the calm before it has a chance to really succeed," Regev said.

Israel and Hamas halted fighting in the Gaza Strip on Thursday but, with wider peace prospects hazy, both sides voiced doubt over how long the Gaza cease-fire would last.

Israel also said the truce must include progress in the case of an Israel Defense Forces soldier captured by Gaza militants two years ago.

Haniyeh blamed Israel for delaying progress in reaching a prisoner swap deal to release captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

Meanwhile Friday, Israelis and Palestinians skeptically welcomed the second peaceful day of the truce which halted the daily Palestinian rocket attacks against southern Israeli towns and communities and Israeli counter raids and airstrikes against Hamas militants in Gaza.

The six-month deal is meant to end attacks that have killed more than 400 Palestinians and seven Israelis since the Islamic Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip a year ago, and pave the way toward wider-reaching agreements.

Related articles:
  • Olmert: Gaza cease-fire is fragile, may be short lived
  • Military sources: IDF to redeploy troops from Gaza if truce holds
  • Palestinian contraband smugglers offer an inside look
  • Rafah tunnel smugglers fear truce may be bad for business
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    <
      1.   longlasting 18:24  |  eli 20/06/08
      2.   Gaza needs to build up it`s defenses against Israel aggression 18:25  |  POP 20/06/08
      3.   Smuggling?? 18:26  |  chris 20/06/08
      4.   Truce 18:34  |  Poppy 20/06/08
      5.   Regev talk-straight out of `1984`. 18:46  |  examiner 20/06/08
      6.   Crimminy the roller coaster is up and running again 18:49  |  Ramius 20/06/08
      7.   I am against arm race BUT 19:08  |  Palestinian 20/06/08
      8.   #2 - POP 19:09  |  MichaelF 20/06/08
      9.   The truce does not apply to Hamas. 19:10  |  MichaelF 20/06/08
      10.   #2 19:13  |  Poppy 20/06/08
      11.   OFF COURSE, HAMAS 19:19  |  indrajaya 20/06/08
      12.   Hamas protecting livelihood of the means to kill Jews smugglers? 19:27  |  Genuine Tosefta 20/06/08
      13.   #7 19:29  |  Poppy 20/06/08
      14.   olmert gang agrees to hamas arms smuggling 19:31  |  Arie 20/06/08
      15.   you have a truce, why smuggle?!! 19:31  |  bashar 20/06/08
      16.   Israel preparing military for gaza, hamas is too 19:33  |  duh 20/06/08
      17.   Why should the smuggling stop? 19:34  |  Natallie Durson 20/06/08
      18.   #11 19:35  |  Poppy 20/06/08
      19.   Would Israel also stop buying weopons from US? Hypocracy again? 19:42  |  John 20/06/08
      20.   Without the simple rockets Hamas is using, Israel would not have 19:44  |  Ed 20/06/08
      21.   Indrajayah 19:51  |  H 20/06/08
      22.   # 11 Indy....and this is exactly why Islamic nutters 19:57  |  Lynn 20/06/08
      23.   chris #3: you`ve forgotten the Oslo accords - 19:59  |  ivo 20/06/08
      24.   INDRAJAYA ALERT = FAKE 11 20:08  |  indrajaya 20/06/08
      25.   PREPARING THE FIELD 20:10  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 20/06/08
      26.   what else is new? 20:15  |  jewish doctor 20/06/08
      27.   # 7 Palestinian - YOU MIXED UP 20:16  |  DISRAELI 20/06/08
      28.   The PMO is spreading its BS claims, as usual. 20:19  |  Pervert 20/06/08
      29.   The PMO is spreading its BS claims, as usual. 20:19  |  Pervert 20/06/08
      30.   #11 Indy ...OFF COURSE is right!! 20:22  |  Lynn 20/06/08
      31.   #3, curious brain! 20:26  |  DR 20/06/08
      32.   #12, Hamas=terror group, Israel=country! 20:30  |  DR 20/06/08
      33.   Say it isn`t so, Joe! 20:38  |  utagawa 20/06/08
      34.   # 15, BASHAR 20:40  |  indrajaya 20/06/08
      35.   TO LYNN 22 20:53  |  indrajaya 20/06/08
      36.   DR confusion is fantasy that they can defeat Israel 21:04  |  GZLives 20/06/08
      37.   yes, Hamas will rearm and reup 21:13  |  Paul Freedman 20/06/08
      38.   # 22, LYNN 21:16  |  indrajaya 20/06/08
      39.   #36, GZ...and when they`re not fighting us... 21:30  |  DR 20/06/08
      40.   smuggling arms is no act of war? they go fishing with missiles? 21:37  |  Marco 20/06/08
      41.   What Did You Expect From Hamas? 21:55  |  jane 20/06/08
      42.   truce with Hamas 21:56  |  Dik 20/06/08
      43.   muslims will never accept any peace deal! 21:58  |  Avram 20/06/08
      44.   # 35 Indy what are they resisting? 22:30  |  Lynn 20/06/08
      45.   "In six months...rainy season." 22:31  |  MSS 20/06/08
      46.   Olmert` s `Truce` allows for smuggling of new weapons and 22:47  |  Dolly 20/06/08
      47.   Farcical 23:06  |  Niv 20/06/08
      48.   gaza truce 23:07  |  Shmuelshachor 20/06/08
      49.   400 Palestinians dead and 7 Israelis murdered 23:10  |  Natasha 20/06/08
      50.   Casualty Ratio 23:13  |  Ron 20/06/08
      51.   This is where Egypt must take firm action 23:22  |  Mark Lincoln 20/06/08
      52.   #21 Indrajayah 23:53  |  H 20/06/08
      53.   Trust in God but keep your powder dry! 23:54  |  lakshmi 20/06/08
      54.   Stupid is as stupid gets 23:55  |  Dr David I. Gross 20/06/08
      55.   Olmert must end "truce" NOW - or admit he lied about smuggling 00:11  |  Dr. L. Brnd 21/06/08
      56.   Natalie Claims the Israelis Are Occupiers 00:30  |  Douglas Fireman 21/06/08
      57.   Smuggling, Shalit, and PR gimmicks 00:31  |  Tosefta 21/06/08
      58.   Put it on the table 02:02  |  Axel 21/06/08
      59.   So what`s new? 02:50  |  Jerrold Cohen 21/06/08
      60.   OLMERT`S DEFEATISM CAUSES TERROR 03:03  |  ROB SCHWARTZ 21/06/08
      61.   TRUCE MEANT TO INCREASE ARMS SMUGGLING 03:46  |  David P 21/06/08
      62.   Carpet bombing 04:16  |  Avrum 21/06/08
      63.   Avrum of Montreal, "What a mess !!!" @#56 05:11  |  Akiva P 21/06/08
      64.   # 34, indrajaya... so go livein gaza..... 05:30  |  bashar 21/06/08
      65.   This Is Why Israel Has Become So Perplexing 06:24  |  Tod Zuckerman 21/06/08
      66.   # 64, BASHAR 07:17  |  indrajaya 21/06/08
      67.   I certainly hope so... 08:56  |  wibism 21/06/08
      68.   #17 the right to launch rockets on his neighbour 09:12  |  Ben 21/06/08
      69.   To Dr. L. . Bernard # 55 - IISRAEL MUST END TRUCE NOW 09:14  |  Dagma 21/06/08
      70.   Olmert Paid by the ARABS ? YES YES YES 09:21  |  charlie 21/06/08
      71.   Another Stupid Cease Fire Thanks Olmert, Barak,Livni & Kadima 09:23  |  Dish It Out