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Won’t open Gaza crossing: Olmert

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told lawmakers on Monday that Israel would not agree to open a key Gaza crossing — explicitly rejecting a chief condition Hamas has set for any truce with Israel.

Egypt has been trying for months to negotiate a deal that would end the rocket and mortar fire from Gaza at southern Israel, and the harsh air and ground strikes they provoke from Israel. But each side has set tough conditions.

Israel wants progress on negotiations to return an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas-allied militants nearly two years ago. And Hamas wants Israel to immediately open blockaded Gaza border crossings, which were closed to all but humanitarian aid after the Islamic group violently seized control of Gaza a year ago.

On Monday, Mr. Olmert told Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border — Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world — would not be pried open.

Israeli officials have previously said they fear that if the border crossings are opened, Hamas would consolidate its rule over Gaza and restock its arsenal. Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan accused Israel of “putting obstacles in front of Egyptian efforts to achieve calm.” “The Rafah border must be opened” as part of the calm, said Radwan, repeating Hamas’ demand that Egypt open the crossing if Israel doesn’t.

Although the Rafah crossing lies on the Gaza-Egypt border, the passage has been closed because Europeans monitoring the crossing require Israeli security clearance to operate. That clearance has not been given since Hamas took over Gaza.

Hamas wants the crossing reopened and a role in monitoring the border — a concession that would be tantamount to recognising the group’s rule of Gaza. Egypt has rejected that demand, and called for a return to the 2005 agreement that gives Israel and EU monitors a supervisory role.

The breakdown of the indirect truce talks would increase the likelihood that Israel would launch a threatened major military operation there against rocket and mortar squads.

Mr. Olmert reiterated such a possibility in his remarks before the committee on Monday, said meeting participants. — AP

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