Hamas backs return of Fatah guards to Rafah crossing
Gaza City, 1 Feb.(AKI) - Mahmoud al-Zahar, a leader and co-founder of the Islamist Hamas movement, said that rival Fatah's guards can return to operate the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
"Nothing prevents us from accepting the return of the people that had worked at the border crossing in the past, and discussing with them their role, while making use of their experience," said the top leader while speaking to Arab TV network Al-Jazeera.
The Palestinian Authority says it intends to respect the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA)reached with Israel.
The AMA requires European monitors to be at Rafah in order for the border crossing to open.
The flaw in the AMA that many Gazans see is that Israel has the indirect power to open and close the border.
Hamas never accepted such an agreement reached between Mahmoud Abbas and Israel. Its acceptance is due to the blockad that Gaza is experiencing, which led to the Islamist movement's bombing of the border wall with Egypt.
"At the same time, there could also be representatives of the Palestinian Authority in Rafah, in order to prevent Israel from having any direct role in the running of the border," said al-Zahar.
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1) Hamas backs return of Fatah guards to Rafah crossing
Friday, February 01, 2008
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1 comment:
What do you think of this samsonblinded.org/blog/israel-cannot-blockade-gaza.htm ? Shoher is arguably the most right Israeli today, but he argues Israel should talk to Hamas as Egypt will not maintain the blockade of Gaza.
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