Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Monday said that Egypt was not doing enough in curbing arms smuggling by Palestinian militants into the Gaza Strip, thus scuttling Israel's efforts in promoting the peace process.
Addressing the Knesset (Parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Livni said that the activity of Egyptian forces guarding the border was not satisfying, local daily Ha'aretz reported.
That made it more difficult for moderate Palestinian forces in the Gaza Strip to gain control of the coastal area, she added. The foreign minister said that Israel would not sign an agreement with the Palestinians until a strong and responsible authority took control of Gaza, which is now under the control of Hamas.
Hamas took over of Gaza after routing the security forces loyal to Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in violent clashes in mid June.
In October, Israeli Public Security Minister Avi Dichter said that Egypt could halt the flow of weapons from the Sinai Peninsula into the Gaza Strip in a single day, according to the report. The United States is examining the possibility of helping Egypt build a physical barrier to foil the weapons-smuggling tunnels that run from Sinai to Gaza.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will travel to Egypt on Wednesday to talk with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Source: Xinhua
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