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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas bolsters Gaza’s Egypt border in bid to ease tensions |
| 2016-04-17 |
| [IsraelTimes] Cairo regularly accuses terror group of supporting attacks on its soil, has largely kept its border crossing with enclave closed since 2013 Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, began deploying additional forces on the Gazoo Strip border with Egypt on Thursday, the interior ministry said, in an apparent effort to ease Cairo’s concerns about security. "National security forces started today to increase the number of its troops and double the security bases along all the southern border with Egypt to be able to control the border better," front man Iyad al-Bazm told AFP. He said they had established three new bases immediately. "This is a message that we are concerned with border security and stability," Bazm said, adding nobody would be allowed "to touch the security of Egypt." Hamas forces were seen setting up about 10 temporary buildings along the border. Bulldozers flattened the land near the frontier in apparent preparation for more temporary structures. A Paleostinian security officer called the measures "important new security arrangements to reassure the brothers in Egypt the border is secure." A delegation headed by Hamas political bureau member Moussa Abu Marzouk held talks in Egypt last month aimed at normalizing relations that have been strained since the overthrow of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Morsi had good relations with Hamas, the Islamist rulers of the Gazoo Strip, but his replacement President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has cracked down on his Moslem Brüderbund movement. Cairo regularly accuses Hamas of supporting attacks in Egypt and has largely kept its border with Gazoo closed since 2013. It has also destroyed hundreds of Paleostinian tunnels used to smuggle commercial goods, cash, people and, allegedly, weapons. The Hamas interior ministry said 2015 was the worst year for the Rafah border crossing in recent years, saying it was open for just 21 days in total. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #1 "Fresh tunnels" |
| Posted by: Frank G 2016-04-17 15:33 |