(Times of Israel) Michael Bachner - Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday called for an end to the "illusions and delusions that improving the [Gaza] economy will end terror." "There are three reasons for the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza," Lieberman told Israel Army Radio. The first, he said, was PA President Mahmoud Abbas, "who one day decided to stop transferring funds to Gaza. Just last week he transferred half of the April salaries." The second reason was Hamas, "which invests millions of dollars on [attack] tunnels, and isn't willing to funnel a single shekel to the education or healthcare systems in the Strip." But the primary obstacle was Hamas' objection to returning the Israeli captives in Gaza - civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham a-Sayed, who crossed into Gaza of their own accord - and the bodies of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul which were snatched in the 2014 war. Hamas "can get a generous humanitarian package if it returns the missing Israelis," Lieberman said.
2018-06-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive