Egypt pushing deal to end anti-terror operations against Hamas in West Bank
21 June 2009 Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA

Ron Ben-Yishai reports in Ynet in Hebrew today that Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak is proposing a "mega deal' for Gaza that would put the Strip under a
temporary administration that would include Hamas and be directly under
Mahmoud Abbas.
www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3734211,00.html

Key features of the deal:

1. An end to security operations - including by the forces trained by
General Dayton - against Hamas in the West Bank

2. Deployment of experts, supervisors and possibly soldiers from Egypt and
other Arab countries to assist the armed Hamas-Fatah forces in Gaza.

3. Release of Shalit in return for Israeli release that includes Israeli
"flexibility" over release of murderers (those not explicitly ruled out by
Israeli security authorities).

4. Complete lifting of import restrictions into Gaza with foreign experts
and supervisors making sure that the building materials are not used for
military construction and weapons production.

5. Egypt frees all Hamas people it holding and provides free movement to
Hamas in Egypt.

6. All agree to accept the outcome of the next Palestinian elections
come-what-may.

It would appear that DM Barak is on his way to Cairo to discuss the deal.

It remains unclear if Israeli authorities have actually thought through the
consequences of this program which would dramatically increase the
possibility that Israel is plunged into armed conflict with Arab countries
that have forces deployed in the Gaza Strip.

The program would strip the PA forces trained by General Dayton of the
ability to seriously operate in the West Bank in the period up to the PA
elections - with the very real possibility that after the elections Hamas
can take over the PA.

The program would give cover to preparations in the Gaza Strip for massive
operations against Israel.

It should be noted that the very same Egypt that under the plan would
provide experts, supervisors and observers to make sure that Gaza doesn't
engage in military construction and weapons production insists to this day
that absolutely no weapons or explosives pass through tunnels from Egypt to
the Gaza Strip and every time Israel raises the issue Egypt considers it a
diplomatic insult and incident.

So again, have Israeli authorities have actually thought through the
consequences of this program?

Unfortunately, a review of Israeli policy making since the start of Oslo
indicates that "thinking through" is not part of their lexicon.