Blair: Gaza Cease-Fire Must Halt Hamas Smuggling

[CNN] Any cease-fire in the Gaza conflict will require "clear and definitive action" to halt the smuggling of weapons and money, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday. "If there is strong action on that front, so that Israel feels it has achieved something - namely the end of the smuggling of weapons and finance to Hamas - then I think it is possible to resolve this reasonably quickly," Blair told CNN. "If that doesn't happen, if we're not in that position, then obviously it's going to go on." Olmert spokesman Mark Regev said any cease-fire must guarantee "real quiet" - and prevent Hamas from replenishing and expanding its arsenal. "Before the last cease-fire with Hamas began, Hamas had missiles with a range of 20 km.," Regev said. "By the end of the cease-fire, the range of the missiles grew to 40 km. Israel does not want the next cease-fire to allow them to get missiles with a range of 60 km."


2009-01-07 06:00:00

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