(Ha'aretz)Arnon Regular - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday that while he attaches great importance to talks with the Egyptians on their role in the Gaza Strip after Israel's planned withdrawal, he does not intend to allow Egypt to mediate between Israel and the Palestinians. The disengagement plan would remain unilateral, he said. Egypt is demanding that the IDF cease operations in the Gaza Strip as a precondition to deploying security advisers to the area, and has proposed that international forces be deployed at the Gaza port and airport after the IDF withdrawal. Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday: "I don't think that any of us can promise that the Gaza Strip...won't be filled with rockets and other weapons that will threaten all the cities of Israel....I think that leaning on Egypt is very problematic."
2004-06-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive