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Israel Urges Egypt to Act Against Hamas

[New York Times] Steven Erlanger - Israel says Egypt is doing far too little to stop the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza, from smuggling weapons, militants and cash into the area from Egypt, and is appealing to Cairo to do more. At the same time, a senior Israeli legislator from the opposition Likud party, Yuval Steinitz, has written to all the members of the U.S. Senate to support a move begun in the House of Representatives to freeze $200 million of a projected $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt unless it takes action. Steinitz said he was asked to write the letter by senators he met as a leader, with Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), of a joint group on defense. In his letter, Steinitz accuses Egypt of allowing Hamas to obtain 20,000 rifles, 6,000 anti-tank missiles, 100 tons of explosives and several dozen Katyusha rockets and shoulder-held anti-aircraft missiles. In the last three months, Steinitz says, Egypt has allowed "the organized departure of large groups of operatives from Gaza for military training in Iran." In September, he notes, 100 Gazans who had trained in Iran were allowed by Egypt to return home despite Israeli protests. His complaints are shared by the Israeli government. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Tuesday told her Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, that "there is a real need for a determined effort to stop weapons smuggling into Gaza." The House move was led by Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), chairman of the subcommittee on the Middle East and Asia, and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), chairwoman of the state and foreign operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.
2007-11-09 01:00:00
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