Hamas will not allow the opening of the crossing point between Gaza and Egypt unless the Islamic movement gets a share of the customs revenues, a pan-Arab newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Al-Quds al-Arabiya newspaper quoted a Hamas source as saying that Hamas rejects any proposal excluding the Islamic movement, which controls Gaza, from running the crossing.
The crossing was closed as part of the siege that Israel imposed on Gaza Strip when Hamas took over the territory in June 2007 after routing security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The source also said that Hamas accepts the deployment of European Union (EU) monitors and pro-Abbas forces on the crossing "but under the condition that Hamas plays a role in running the passageway and Israel doesn't intervene in the work of the EU monitors."
According to a U.S.-brokered deal signed in 2005, the crossing can not be open without the presence of EU monitors and the Palestinian presidential forces which withdrew when Hamas seized control of Gaza.
The debate on the fate of Rafah crossing renewed when Egypt succeeded in brokering a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip. The six-month lull started on Thursday.
According to the agreement, Israel will partly lift the economic sanctions it imposed on Gaza since June 2007. But Israel insists that the opening of Rafah crossing can occur only when Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza, is released.
Source:Xinhua
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