|
World Jewish News
EU diplomats: Egypt's refusal to station foreign troops on Gaza border holding up truce
09.01.2009
Egyptian efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire appeared on Friday to have to run into trouble because of disagreements with Israel over how to secure the border to prevent Hamas from rearming, diplomats said.
Israeli and European diplomats, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Egypt had objections to proposals for foreign forces deploying on the Egyptian side of its 15-km (9-mile) border with the Gaza Strip.
Instead of foreign troops, Cairo told Israel and the European Union, it was prepared to accept only increased international technical assistance to help its own forces combat arms smuggling through tunnels dug across the border. Israel is demanding the tunnel traffic end as part of a ceasefire deal.
"The truce talks are going nowhere at the moment," said a senior European diplomat involved in the effort. "There is a growing sense that the Egyptian-French plan is not going to work."
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told Haaretz he is not very optimistic about the possibility for an agreement that would bring an end to the fighting.
"First of all, the Egyptians would have to accept this plan," he said.
"We cannot decide about an EU force without the consent of the Egyptians. This is nonsense. President [Hosni] Mubarak was quite clear in his position against such a force. We are trying to find a solution, with a clear view of respecting Egyptian sovereignty," he added.
The longer the military operation goes on, the more Israel loses in terms of European public opinion, Schwarzenberg said in an interview to Haaretz.
The Czech Republic currently holds the rotating European Union Presidency.
"I do think that each hour Israel is continuing its military operation it loses in the public opinion in Europe and this is a process which is going on very fast and endangers the friendly government around Israel and undermines the position of president Abbas. I think we have to achieve a cease fire, to achieve a settlement, today and not tomorrow," said Schwarzenberg.
The Czech minister headed a mission by the Foreign Ministers of the European troika to the region earlier this week.
Источник: HAARETZ.com
|
|
