(Times of Israel) Avi Issacharoff - After three and a half years of tension, there are signs of a thaw between Egypt and Hamas. In the past month, Egypt has allowed the Rafah border crossing to remain open longer than usual. Now it is considering initiatives to improve the economic situation in both Gaza and in adjacent Sinai. Cairo is reportedly considering establishing a free trade zone in Rafah, which straddles the Sinai-Gaza border, which would allow Gazan traders to purchase goods directly from the Egyptian side of the city. Mohammad Dahlan, a political nemesis to PA President Mahmoud Abbas, is reportedly linked to the negotiations between Cairo and Hamas. Meanwhile, Hamas recently arrested 30-40 Salafist activists in Gaza to prevent an escalation of rocket fire at Israel by these fringe groups.
2016-11-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive