Hamas deputy tries to enter Gaza Strip with 2 millio euros

[Behind the Aegis]

ISMAILIA, Egypt - A senior Hamas politician, trying to bypass a financial boycott on the Palestinians, attempted to cross into the Gaza Strip from Egypt yesterday carrying 2 million euros, Egyptian border officials said. The move came two days after the Cairo-based Arab League pledged to break a Western economic boycott imposed on the Palestinian Authority in the wake of the victory of Islamist militant group Hamas in legislative elections last January.

"The Palestinian official arrived at the border and informed the Egyptian side that he was carrying about 2 million euros, collected on a trip to Saudi Arabia," one of the border officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said border guards stopped Hamas deputy Mushir al-Masri from crossing, telling him that he had to "wait for coordination" to take the money across the border. The border ultimately closed without approval being granted.

A Palestinian official in Egypt confirmed Masri had been delayed while trying to take cash across the border, which is jointly operated by Egypt and the Palestinians, and overseen by European monitors. He said the money was aid for the Palestinian people.


more...

[mike_c]

1. the strangulation of Palestinians continues....

eom

[ThomCat]

2. Yes it does.

And the people responsible will accept no blame for all the misery and death that results.

[Amused Musings]

11. Hamas' leadership?

[breakaleg]

3. So did Israel stop him from crossing? The article implies it, but doesn't

actually say it. I ask because much has been made of the fact that Israel has no control over that border crossing here, when it seems they do.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. Egypt stopped him.

[Lurking Dem]

5. It says exactly who stopped him.

Nothing at all is "implied".

[breakaleg]

6. where?

"He said border guards stopped Hamas deputy Mushir al-Masri from crossing, telling him that he had to "wait for coordination" to take the money across the border. The border ultimately closed without approval being granted. " ...from the article. Where does it say who stopped him?

[Lurking Dem]

7. Here

Egyptian border officials said



border guards stopped Hamas deputy Mushir al-Masri from crossing



the border, which is jointly operated by Egypt and the Palestinians, and overseen by European monitors

[bemildred]

8. So he goes in tomorrow, or the next day. nt

[Tom Joad]

9. I hope that the aid is able to reach the Palestinian people.

[Englander]

10. Palestinian health services struggling - Red Cross

GENEVA, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Health services across the Palestinian territories are running down for lack of funds and people are dying as a result, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Wednesday.

It said that international humanitarian law made Israel, as occupying power, responsible for ensuring the basic needs of Palestinian civilians were met, and implicitly urged Israel and Western countries to rethink their suspension of funding to the Palestinian Authority.

Hospitals in the West Bank are operating at one-fifth of their capacity and many small medical facilities are completely closed because of the suspension, the ICRC said.

The United States and its partners in the Quartet of Middle East mediators imposed the funding freeze to pressure the Hamas-led government to recognise Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and accept existing peace deals.

The ICRC said the boycott had had a "dramatic effect" on medical services, despite efforts by donor countries and organisations to support private and charitable healthcare facilities in the territories.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L15750154.htm

[Scurrilous]

12. If at first you don't succeed...

Palestinian FM enters Gaza Strip carrying case with $20M in cash

<snip>

"Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar on Tuesday entered the Gaza Strip carrying a suitcase containing $20 million in cash.

Al-Zahar raised the funds, which he brought in through the border with Egypt, over the past two weeks during a series of visits to several Arab countries.

Various Palestinian officials, using their VIP status, have brought millions in Arab-donated dollars into Gaza in recent months, despite international sanctions against the group. In June, al-Zahar brought 20 million euros across the border, stuffed in 12 suitcases.

Palestinian law permits cash to be carried over the border as long as it is declared."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/793939.html

[Tom Joad]

13. More power to them. Millions of dollars that rightfully belong to the

Palestinian people is being held by the Israeli government.
These are taxes that should have been transfered to the Palestinians, under the rules of past agreements, that Israel sees fit to ignore, as is the habit of the Israeli regime.

[sabbat hunter]

14. the palestinians

and the PA should sue the estate of yasser arafat for the billions he plundered over the years. the billions that should have gone to help the palestinians.

and how do we know that the money that the hamas ministers would have gone to the palestinian people and not to terror activities? hamas is a terror group.


these monies being collected need to be overseen by an independent group to make sure they are going to help the palestinians not for terror activities.

[everythingsxen]

15. *gasp*

How dare you imply that Hamas would conduct terrorist actions! They were elected by the Palestinians on a platform of ending corruption. :sarcasm:

Oh, well, now Hamas has a nother 20 million to use to recruit new suicide bombers and building bomb packs and rockets. Maybe that's why they wanted the ceasefire, they knew money was arriving soon and wanted to rearm.

[Scurrilous]

16. Israel Shuts Rafah Crossing After "Illegal" Hamas Cash Transfer

<snip>

"Israel closed the Rafah Crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border Wednesday, after Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar brought millions of dollars through the entry point in his suitcase, Palestinian officials said.

A spokeswoman for the European Union Mission which monitors the crossing point confirmed the closure to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, saying that "Israel informed us we cannot open, but did not provide a reason."

Palestinian security officials said al-Zahar insisted that the 20 million dollars he had in his suitcase were "donations to the Palestinian people."

Israel said the transfer of the money through the crossing point was "illegal."


http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_4255-Israel-Shuts-Rafah-Crossing-After-Illegal-Hamas-Cash-Transfer.html

[Tom Joad]

17. I keep on hearing that Israel has stopped the occupation of Gaza

Obviously, that is not at all true. That is a myth. Like Unicorns. Dragons. While i appreciate people sharing their fantasies, this is not the appropiate forum. Please keep real.

Thanks for the news Scurrilous. Just another day in keeping Palestinians "on a diet".

[Lithos]

20. They have

Rafah works under a triumverate agreement between Egypt, Palestine and Israel thru the auspices of the EU who actually operate the gate.

The Rafah border crossing with Egypt is operated under EU observers according to an agreement between the Palestinians and Israel when Israel withdrew its troops from the border a year ago.

http://english.people.com.cn/200611/29/eng20061129_326530.html

[Tom Joad]

22. It seems that Palestine does not have soveriegnty over their borders.

They are restricted even for fishing (Israel will kill them if they go too far out in the sea)
Families risk their lives to play on beaches. (Israel may kill them) Random attacks.
Aid restricted. (what other time has a people who endured such oppression been subject to an international embargo?)
It is difficult even to send funds to Palestinians, as banks do not wish to challange US power, so they refuse to permit funds to be transferred. I am not saying it is impossible, just often difficult.
Water supplies destroyed.
Electric power plants destroyed. Bridges destroyed.
Sewage backed up.
Very little food can be exported, especially to the West Bank.

All this is implementing the decision to destroy what is left of Gaza, much of which had already been economically destroyed by a brutal military direct occupation lasting nearly two generations, in flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions.

Aid agencies are calling this a great humanitarian disaster.

The fools and criminals who made this policy said it was "putting the Palestinians on a diet."
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=9785

This is merely occupation by other means.

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Joad]

26. self delete.

[Tom Joad]

28. Is it your thinking that Palestinians are denied their basic rights

partly because of their behavior? What have they done to deserve to have Gaza destroyed? Because they elect a party Israel does not approve of?
How can anyone say that the occupied and the occupier somehow both equally share the blame?


Rights are earned? Or are they inalienable? A very old debate. I'm with Tom Jefferson on this, but i would apply much more broadly than he was willing to.

Some may think rights are earned. I disagree.

[Behind the Aegis]

30. Is it your thinking that Israelis are denied security

partly because of their behavior? What have they done to deserve to having innocents murdered in pizza parlors or missiles rain down on their towns? Because they choose to exist in an area of the world that doesn't think they should? Silly, huh?

No where did I say the "the occupied and the occupier somehow both equally share the blame." It just seems that some don't think the Palestinians are to blame for anything.

Some rights are earned, others should be inalienable. But it goes both ways. To deny that the Palestinians share some of the blame in this situation is ignorant.

[Tom Joad]

31. Palestinians have made many mistakes in resisting their oppression

As any people have in resisting oppression.

The easiest way to end this is to end the oppression.

End the occupation.

And for US citizens, do all we can to end US support for occupation, dispossession.

[Behind the Aegis]

32. If it were that simple.

Things aren't always "black and white," nor are they always simple.

[jaybeat]

33. Israel has denied itself security

By attempting to take land (occupied territories) that doesn't belong to it, and especially by settling their citizens on that land, taken by force, in complete violation of international law and UN resolutions.

That's different behavior than Israel choosing "to exist in an area of the world that doesn't think they should". They have no legal right to exist outside of their internationally recognized borders. Every peace plan since Camp David has had Israel sign on to the idea that security for Israel cannot be achieved unless they return to their legal borders.

[Behind the Aegis]

34. By the same token...

...the Arabs did the same (denied their security) by attacking Israel and losing the land. Israel is not the only one in violation of international law and UN resolutions, yet so many keep forgetting (?) that salient fact.

[newyorican]

35. Wow, can't mention denial?

:o

[UndertheOcean]

24. If Israel has control on who gets in and out of Gaza how can anyone..

claim that the Israeli occupation ended there ?

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Scurrilous]

38. Tel Aviv: Protest by 'Coalition against siege on Gaza'

Left wing activists demand ceasefire to include West Bank. MK Barakeh: Israel didn't really leave Gaza, warden is still surrounding the prison. Other residents less enthusiastic about protest; throw ice cubes at marchers

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3335230,00.html

<snip>

"A few hundred protestors, members of the 'Coalition against the siege on Gaza' gathered Saturday evening in central Tel Aviv to rally against the IDF's operations in Gaza. The march proceeded towards Rabin Square under the banner of 'stop the siege on Gaza'.

Left-wing activists who organized the protest admit that the idea came up before the ceasefire was declared, however they say that they deem the issue still very relevant."

<snip>

"The protesters apparently weren't satisfied with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's speech in Sde Boker last Monday, where he announced that Israel was willing to concede a great deal of land to the Palestinians in negotiations if terrorism was truly stopped.

MK Muhammad Barakeh (Hadash) told Ynet: "Ever since the settlements in Gaza were dismantled not a single day without siege has gone by. People say 'what do the Palestinians want from us? We left Gaza.' What do you mean 'we left Gaza'? So the warden has left the inside of the jail, but he still surrounds it from the outside."

[Englander]

37. Gaza = OPT.

For eg, here's the BBC's journalists' guide to facts and terminology, on Gaza;

GAZA STRIP

In 2005, Israel completed the withdrawal of all its troops and settlers from the Gaza Strip. It retains control of the airspace, seafront and all vehicle access - including deliveries of food and other goods.

All movement in and out of the Gaza Strip is controlled by Israeli authorities, except, officially, the pedestrian-only crossing between Gaza and Egypt which is meant to be controlled by Palestinians and Egyptians with the presence of EU monitors.

The situation is, however, fluid - Israel has been able to force its closure since the capture of Corporal Shalit in 2006.

Under international law, Israel is still the occupying power in Gaza, although it no longer has a permanent military presence there.

We need to be careful with our language so as not to give the impression that the BBC is favouring one side's position. In BBC programmes it is more accurate to talk about an "end to Israel's permanent military presence" rather than the end of occupation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi/newsid_6040000/newsid_6044000/6044090.stm#gaza%20strip

[Douglas Carpenter]

27. (“Movement and Access from Gaza”) signed on 15 Nov 2005

“The crossings agreement (“Movement and Access from Gaza”) signed on 15 November 2005 specified that Rafah crossing would be used for the passage of people in and out of Gaza—but that goods, vehicles and trucks to and from Egypt would have to pass through the Israeli crossing at Kerem Shalom, under full Israeli supervision. As far as people traffic is concerned, entry to the Strip would be permitted only to those holding Palestinian ID. Any foreign nationals would only be allowed to enter “by exception in agreed categories with prior notification to the Government of Israel….The Palestinian Authority will notify the Government of Israel 48 hours in advance of a person in the excepted categories—diplomats, foreign investors, foreign representatives of recognized international organizations and humanitarian cases…….Although there would be no direct Israeli presence in the Rafah crossing, it was agreed that “cameras will be installed to monitor the search process, so that Israel would be able to monitor all movement from its inspection point to a few kilometers away. Effectively, therefore, entry to the Gaza Strip would continue to remain under Israeli control.” Pages 134-135

“The Gaza Strip depends economically on its contact with the West Bank, which involves trucks and goods passing through Erez and Karni crossing on the Gaza-Israel border, making their way to the West Bank through Israel. According to the World Bank’s representative in the occupied territories, Nigel Roberts, “before the Intifada broke out…some 225 trucks a day passed through the crossings, compared to only 35 a day in the six months prior to disengagement. Since the disengagement, however, the situation deteriorated even further…only about a dozen trucks per day have bee allowed into Israel to travel to the West Bank.” Page 136

“The 15 November 2005 agreement did indeed specify that “Israel will allow passage of convoys (to and from Gaza and to and from the West Bank). However this plan was frozen. “Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator, said he was disgusted with the situation. There’s no security issue for Israel.” He said. “They will have names submitted in advance, they (Israel) screen the passengers, no one leaves the bused and they’re escorted by Israel to Tarquimiya (in the south of the West Bank)….And how should the Palestinians expect to make an agreement if someone so high up as (Secretary of State) Rice arranges something of so little risk to Israel and nothing happens?” page 137

“The situation in Gaza remained as Mahmoud Abbas described it shortly after the Israeli pullout: “ The Strip is one large prison, and the army’s departure does not change this situation” page 138

from -- The Road Map to Nowhere by Professor Tanya Reinhart of Tel Aviv University

Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Map-Nowhere-Israel-Palestine/dp/1844670767/ref=sr_11_1/002-4750258-7334423?ie=UTF8

[Scurrilous]

36. UN report: “Israel violated all articles of Crossings agreement”

<snip>

"The United Nations office for Human Affairs in the West Bank published a report on Thursday morning accusing Israel of violating every article of the Crossings agreements, and stated that Israel imposed strict siege and closure on the Palestinian people.

The report, marking one year since the agreement was reached, stated that border crossings remained closed most of the year.

Also, the report revealed that the closure caused a significant increase in unemployment in the Gaza Strip since the level jumped from 33.1% in 2005 to 41.8% in 2006.

The percentage of closures reached 86% since Palestinian resistance groups captured the Israeli corporal Gilad Shalit in June 25.

Only 12 trucks per day managed to cross the Karni Trade Crossing since mid January 2006, while Israel vowed to allow 400 trucks to cross per day before the end of the year."

http://www.imemc.org/content/view/22996/147/

[newyorican]

18. Whoops!

Now you've gone and killed this thread.

Tumble weeds and chirping crickets...

[oberliner]

19. Why did you choose the source "playfuls.com" ?

Is that reputable?

Just asking, I've not seen it sourced before.

[Scurrilous]

21. It's new to be also...

...but I saw the same story (more or less) on a couple of other sites so I figured it was credible.

Rafah crossing shut down again after temporary opening: sources

http://english.people.com.cn/200611/29/eng20061129_326530.html

[Tom Joad]

29. Killing them softly with their closings, not their US supplied guns.

Still brutal, just less blood on the street to cause scandal.

Oppress people and destroying their lives and livelihoods, and then go on tv and talk peace. Brilliant.

Too bad much of the world knows what is going on.