Israel allows $12 million in arms to go to Abbas's forces

Israel has allowed Egypt to deliver a large consignment of guns and ammunition to shore up the presidential guard of the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in his battle against Hamas, it was revealed on Dec. 28. The arms were delivered on Dec. 26 to Abbas's security force in Gaza, where confrontations between his Fatah faction and Hamas have almost escalated into civil war. Palestinian and Egyptian spokespersons denied there had been any arms transfer but it was confirmed by Israeli government sources, and witnesses in Gaza said they saw a truck drop a box of guns on the street close to the Karni border crossing where the arms arrived. The delivery, which included 2,000 AK-47 rifles, 20,000 magazines and 2 million bullets, would have a street value in Gaza of about $12 million. It arrived in Israel from Egypt at the Kerem Shalom border crossing in four trucks and was escorted by military police to the Karni crossing into Gaza, where it was received by members of the presidential guard. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, agreed to allow the delivery and made a series of other concessions when he met Abbas in Jerusalem on Dec. 29. On Dec. 26, Israel transferred $12.3 million of an estimated $590 million in withheld tax revenues to Palestinian-run hospitals in east Jerusalem, and it has promised to hand over a further $98 million for "humanitarian purposes." A senior source in the Israeli government said Abbas had requested the arms to help stop rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and improve his position. "We are trying to strengthen the presidential guard against the other forces in Gaza. We want to see if they are capable of stopping the rocket fire. It's an opportunity to show that they can deliver. Everyone says that we must give Mr. Abbas a chance and this is what we are doing." Abbas's standing in Palestinian society has fallen since his election in 2004. His policy of moderation and dialogue with Israel has not won any important concessions from Olmert and Hamas has become a more attractive representative of nationalism for many Palestinians. Hamas's first attempt at government this year has been hampered by international isolation, and the failure of Fatah and Hamas to agree to a unity government has brought the two factions close to civil war. Seventeen people have been killed in internal fighting, including three children, in Gaza and the West Bank this month. Hamas, which has raised its own 5,000-strong guard, ignored reports of the arms delivery. Ahmed Yusuf, an adviser to Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, said the Egyptians had assured him there had been no arms delivery and he preferred to believe them over the Israelis. Yossi Alpher, an Israeli strategic analyst, said it was not clear that any injection of arms would improve the position of Abbas. "It could lead to civil war but you could say there is already a civil war and we want the good guys to win," he said. But he suggested that the policy should be seen as part of a broader US strategy to combat Islamic forces with their regional rivals such as in Somalia. Olmert also suggested on Dec. 28 that Israel was willing to enter peace talks with Syria. In an address to air force graduates, he said: "The state of Israel is open to any murmur of peace from our neighbors and across our borders. If our enemies genuinely want peace, they will find in us a fair partner."