Region | Palestinian Territories

US ready to help Cairo with Gaza border

The United States is ready to give technical aid to help Egypt stop arms smuggling into Hamas-run Gaza, but Cairo must improve border patrol efforts, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said.

  • Reuters
  • Published: 00:55 January 10, 2008
  • Gulf News

Washington: The United States is ready to give technical aid to help Egypt stop arms smuggling into Hamas-run Gaza, but Cairo must improve border patrol efforts, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said.

Israeli officials have complained that Egypt is doing a "terrible" job on the Gaza border, failing to stop smuggling of weapons and ammunition into Gaza through tunnels under the so-called Philadelphi Corridor that separates Egypt and Gaza.

"We think that Egypt has to do more. Those tunnels need to be dealt with," Rice said in an interview with Middle East journalists in Washington before travelling to the region with President George W. Bush.
A US Army Corps of Engineers team has studied the problem and talked to Egyptian security personnel about it, Rice said.

"The Egyptians have said that they want some, perhaps, technical help. We're prepared obviously, to give that, but it's also — you know, the will to do it is very important here," Rice said.

Hamas took control of Gaza in June, prompting Israel to tighten its military and economic cordon around the coastal territory.

But last month, Israeli officials said they had sent a videotape to Washington showing Egyptian security forces helping Hamas fighters smuggle arms across the border into Gaza.

The Egyptian government says it is doing its best with the personnel it is allowed to deploy at the border under the 1979 peace treaty and a subsequent agreement with Israel. "The Egyptians need to deal with it. We're going to try to help them deal with it," Rice said in a transcript of the interview released by the State Department.

  • Rate this article
  • Average reader rating (0 votes) 0 Stars
Tools

Emailing an article to friend is a simple way to share a news item. Your friend will receive an email with your name and email address as well any personal message you choose to send.

The information you provide on this page will not be used to send unsolicited emails.

This service is not intended to encourage spam, and action may be taken against individuals who maliciously enter personal details of another individual.

Share this article

More from Palestinian Territories

  1. Abbas likely to remain influential even if he quits

  2. Gaza war report to come before Security Council

  3. Lieberman's 'lies' draw sharp rebuke

  4. Israel rejects UN vote approving Gaza report

All articles in Palestinian territories

More from Region

Gulf News
Popular in News
News Editor's choice