Israeli Army Recommends Transferring Qatari Aid to Gaza through Ramallah
Arab World
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat
A senior security official in Tel Aviv said the Israeli army has decided to endorse a drastic change in its approach towards the Hamas movement following the latest war. The army decided to recommend that the political authority stop transferring Qatari aid to the Gaza Strip through Hamas. The aid either stops or it should be transferred through the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, the source told Walla. Addressing the talks Egypt has been holding since the Gaza ceasefire, the official said Cairo intends to put on the table the demands of both parties to achieve a longstanding truce. Among the demands are easing the blockade on Gaza, holding a prisoner exchange and opening the border crossings for trade and labor. The source added that “from what we understand, Israel intends to change the rules of the game with Gaza. Messages in this spirit were conveyed to mediators from Egypt. Today they (the Egyptians) are supposed to move from Israel to Gaza and convey messages from Jerusalem.” The security officer said that the Gaza operation has changed the game, adding that Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in the coastal enclave, was given a chance to rebuild the Strip but he was a disappointment. Instead of using the funds to provide people’s needs, he built missile factories and tunnels as large underground cities, the officer said. “Hamas is over to us,” he added. Further, he hinted at the return of assassinations of Hamas leaders, saying that Sinwar will have the same fate as Hezbollah party leader Hassan Nasrallah, who has been hiding underground for 16 years and does not dare to appear in public. Sinwar recently openly toured Gaza, in a rare move. The Israeli official said: “You won’t be seeing such scenes very often.” Moreover, he revealed that the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings have been closed until further notice. Hamas had struck the Kerem Shalom border crossing during the latest war.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2989161/israeli-army-recommends-transferring-qatari-aid-gaza-through-ramallah
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