Hamas security sources said the Islamic regime has arranged for
cooperation with Egypt on border security, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said the cooperation
would focus on monitoring the flow of people and goods from Egypt's Sinai
Peninsula to the Gaza Strip.
The sources said the accord reflected growing security and political
cooperation between Egypt and Hamas in wake of the ouster of President Hosni
Mubarak in February. They said the new military regime in Egypt, urged
by the Muslim Brotherhood, has been willing to ease restrictions on the Gaza
Strip.
"The agreement means that Hamas will relay data on all smuggling
activities," a security source said.
The sources said Hamas agreed to close many of the 1,500 tunnels that
span the 14-kilometer Sinai-Gaza border. They said Egypt has consented to
maintain several dozen tunnels to ensure the flow of vital goods from Sinai
to the Gaza Strip.
The agreement included a Hamas commitment to relay the names of those
who enter or leave the Gaza Strip through the tunnel network. The sources
said Hamas has also pledged to reinforce its security presence in southern
Gaza, the venue of the tunnels.