By HILLARY LEILA KRIEGER AND AP
Jun. 15, 2007 14:24
Updated Jun. 15, 2007 15:49
JPost
A proposed multinational force deployed along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt must be willing to fight Hamas to stop weapons smuggling in the area, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Friday.
Livni said Israel was not interested in any proposal involving a monitoring force for the Philadelphi corridor where, she said, Hamas used tunnels to bring in weapons.
"Those who are talking in terms of international forces have to understand that the meaning is not monitoring forces but forces that are willing to fight, to confront Hamas on the ground," Livni said.
"The question is the effectiveness of these (multinational) forces. We don't need monitors to come in to tell us about the (smuggling), we need someone to stop it," she told a news conference during an official visit to Portugal.
Livni rejected the possibility of deploying an international force inside the Gaza Strip.
"I don't think that this is relevant ... when the situation is that Hamas controls everything," she said.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed the possible deployment of a multinational force in Gaza with the Security Council on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday proposed stationing international forces along the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt to prevent arms from reaching Palestinian terrorists.
Livni said the Gaza Strip fighting was "an internal problem" for Palestinians.
"Let's wait and see what the Palestinians do," she said. "We are waiting. We are watching the situation very closely."
She urged the international community to join Israel in strengthening the strategy of isolating extremist movements, such as Hamas, and encouraging moderates, including Fatah.
On Thursday, US officials expressed doubt that the international community would be willing to risk its troops in the region.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said that although the US would consider any such proposal, it was unlikely that any country would be ready to volunteer forces.
"We'll, of course, take a look at whatever the Secretary General has to propose. And I have to confess I haven't seen any details of such a proposal. But I would, just as an initial reaction, put out for you that I think it would be difficult to find forces that would be ready and effective in going into such a clearly non-permissive environment," said McCormack.
Related Material:
JPost columnists on the future of the PA
The fall of Gaza (June 15 editorial)
Palestinian Affairs: Fatah's death blow
Hamas victory could be opportunity for Israel
Egypt's difficult task in Gaza
Disconnect from Gaza or talk to Hamas?
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My Comment:
1. Of course Israel wants the "multinational force" to fight it's war on its behalf.
God only knows that Israel had no success before in stopping the weapons smuggling when it had boots on the ground in Gaza, or defeating nor eradicating Hamas.
2. Israel's bitter deafeat at the hands of Hizbullah, still resonates loud-and-clear, in its collective psyche.
3. Livni, stated that the war in Gaza was an "internal problem."
So, the alleged multinational force would serve better if it was stationed inside Gaza inorder to aid Hamas in keeping the peace, and stopping future clashes between Hamas and the remnants of Fatah.
Furthermore, basing the "multinational force," along the Egyptian/Gazan border doesn't make sense. Hamas already has sufficient weapons; they can be smuggled in via other routes; and they can develop some types internally.
4. It would seem that Israel's sinister intention is to:
a) Collectively punish and starve the ENTIRE Gazan population.
b) To plug the Egyptian/Gazan hole, inorder for Israel to initiate another act of aggression by invading Gaza and attempting to crush Hamas, once and for all.
That way Hamas will have an extremely difficult time in re-supplying itself with much needed weapons to protect the Palestinians of Gaza.
Israel, already controls the Gazan/Israeli border, Gaza's airspace, and it's coast; only the Egyptian side isn't directly under Israeli .
If it can have an Occupation Force assume control of that area, the envelopment of Gaza would be complete, and mass starvation would ensue.
5. This dark plan also shows that Israel doesn't trust its peace partner and ally, Egypt.
6. It also shows how much of an ingrate Israel truly is. After all the help it received from Egypt in stopping many smuggling attempts, and the economic embargo that was instituted on the PA, ever since Hamas was legally & democratically elected by the majority of the Palestinian people.
7. By stationing this "multinational force," along the Egyptian/Gazan border, Israel would be killing 2 birds with one stone:
a) the complete envelopment and total Israeli control of Gaza (this proves that Israel never truly withdrew from Gaza, since it still controls the Gazan/Israeli border, Gaza's airspace and coast)
b) This alleged "multinational force," would be another buffer, defensive line and early warning, of any future Egyptian armed attack on Israel.
This is Just another example of Israel's dirty tactics.
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