IDF Isn't Restricting Rafah Entries, by Arieh O'Sullivan (Jerusalem Post):
Israel has not flagged any of the 45,000 Palestinians who have crossed through the Rafah terminal since it opened five weeks ago, the commander of the European monitors revealed Tuesday.
"The IDF has not requested to stop anyone"....Pistolese's comments came following reports that senior Hamas terrorists, including Bashir Hammad who founded the armed wing Izzadin al-Kassam, had crossed into the Gaza Strip very recently and that dozens of Hamas and Fatah fugitives have returned since the Rafah terminal was handed over to the Palestinian Authority four months ago.
One of the key points of the Rafah agreement was Israel's insistence on having some sort of ability to prevent terrorists from entering the Gaza Strip.
Prior to the opening of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, I described the deal's terrorist-prevention terms as a "
charade" and "a complete capitulation by Israel." In particular, I specified that the "
video feed was a meaningless attempt to save face."
Here's another comment that has been proven by events:
Of course, the Palestinians are more concerned with "rubbing it in" than quietly going along with the charade
The PA has renamed the Rafah Crossing in honor of a suicide bomber.
