Middle East

Israel reopens Gaza crossing, exchanges Lebanese prisoners

Article published on the 2008-06-29 Latest update 2008-06-29 14:05 TU

Trucks carrying food supplies on their way to the Sufa crossing
(Photo: Reuters)

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic movement which controls the Gaza Strip, has arrested an official of the Al-Aqsa Brigades which claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on Israel on Thursday. Israel Sunday opened the Sufa border crossing into Gaza, after closing it on Wednesday because of breaches of its truce agreement with Hamas.

Hamas security officials on Sunday arrested Al-Aqsa Brigades spokesperson Mohammed Abu Irmana. The group, which is loosely linked to President Mahmous Abbas's Fatah movement, said it was behind two rocket attacks on the Israeli town of Sderot on Thursday.

The attack, along with several claimed by the Islamic Jihad movement, was a breach of the truce which Hamas agreed with Israel so as to end the blockade of the strip.

An official said that 60-70 lorries carrying humanitarian aid should go through the crossing on Sunday. The Nahal Oz terminal, which handles most of Gaza's fuel supplies, opened on Friday.

Hamas has accused Israel of not keeping its side of the Egyptian-brokered truce. Amjad Shawa of the Palestinian NGO network in Gaza city says that the agreement is not enough, if Jewish settlements and Israeli military operations continue on the West Bank.

"If Israel is really interested in peace, Israel must stop settlement activity, must lift the siege and the blockade on Gaza Strip to give hope to the Palestinians of better conditions," he told RFI.

The Israeli cabinet today approved the release of five Lebanese prisoners, although it now believes that the soldiers who were supposed to be exchanged for them are dead.

Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were captured by the Shia-Muslim-based Hezbollah movement in a cross-border raid in 2006. They were believed to have been badly wounded at the time.

On Sunday Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that he knew them to be dead but that their remains should be exchanged for the prisoners.