The sources said that under the Egyptian-arranged ceasefire with the
Hamas regime the Israeli Navy was asked to halt anti-smuggling activities
from Egyptian territorial waters to the Gaza Strip. Instead, they said,
Cairo was meant to assume security responsibility.
Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said Egypt has also failed
to stop the flow of weapons overland from Sinai to the Gaza Strip. Vilnai
said increased Egyptian efforts have had little effect on the smuggling
through the tunnel network that connects the divided town of Rafah.
"They were not really successful," Vilnai said.
Since the ceasefire on June 9, the sources said, the Egyptian Coast
Guard has ignored Palestinian boats heading east toward the Gaza Strip. They
said the Palestinian fishing boats were believed to be transporting
insurgents, weapons and other smuggled goods to the Gaza Strip.
"Since the calm [ceasefire], this Israel Navy activity has been
suspended and the passage has reverted into a smuggling route," the source
said.
The Hamas regime has asserted that the ceasefire with Israel did not
include a crackdown on smuggling. The regime has warned Egypt and Israel to
reopen the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, hundreds of Palestinians stormed the Rafah border terminal
with Egypt in an effort to enter Sinai. The Palestinians hurled rocks
toward Egyptian troops, who responded by firing water cannons. Six Egyptian
soldiers were injured.
On July 1, Egypt permitted about 150 Palestinians to enter the Rafah
terminal, most of them those who infiltrated Sinai during the Hamas
destruction of the border in January 2008. Officials said at least 6,000
Gazans have registered to enter Egypt.
"We call on Egypt to speed up the process of reopening Rafah terminal in
normal way," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said.
