Israel Accuses Egypt of Failing to Stop Arms Smuggling into Gaza

A senior Israeli intelligence official says Egypt is not doing enough to stop the smuggling of arms into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

The official, who refused to be named, told reporters in Tel Aviv that the Egyptian government could stop the flow of arms within 24 hours if it wanted to. He said the arms are being smuggled through a network of tunnels that have been dug under the Sinai desert along the 13-kilometer Egyptian-Gaza border.

Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007, a development that prompted both Egypt and Israel to impose an arms embargo against the territory. But the Israeli official said Egypt’s enforcement is lacking, allowing Hamas to build up its rocket arsenal in Gaza.

Some information in this story was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.