IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Yaalon objects to entrusting the Philadelphi route, in southern Gaza, in the hands of the Egyptians. Egypt currently controls the Sinai Desert, which borders the Gaza Strip - although under the terms of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, Egyptian armed forces are not to come near the Gaza region.
The Philadelphi route is a troublesome area via which the Palestinian terrorists in Gaza smuggle in weapons and explosives from Egypt - with Egypt turning a blind eye. Shimon Peres and others have suggested of late that in the event of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the area should be entrusted to Egypt.
Gen. Yaalon told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today that if Israel does not have total control over the Gaza/Egypt line, "smuggling of all types of weapons will take place."
Yaalon, who is known not to be a great fan of Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan from Gaza, told the committee that the details of the plan have not as yet been finalized.
Another topic discussed at today's session was Elchanan Tenenbaum. MK Chaim Ramon (Labor) demanded that Col. (res.) Tenenbaum be stripped of his rank, while MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) said that the IDF should establish a committee of inquiry into the issue of classified information and to whom it is exposed. It is known that Tenenbaum was privy to a highly-secret defense project while in the army. Tenenbaum was scheduled to undergo a polygraph test today regarding his claim that he did not willingly meet Hizbullah terrorists, but was rather abducted by them on his way to making an illegal drug deal.
The Philadelphi route is a troublesome area via which the Palestinian terrorists in Gaza smuggle in weapons and explosives from Egypt - with Egypt turning a blind eye. Shimon Peres and others have suggested of late that in the event of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the area should be entrusted to Egypt.
Gen. Yaalon told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today that if Israel does not have total control over the Gaza/Egypt line, "smuggling of all types of weapons will take place."
Yaalon, who is known not to be a great fan of Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan from Gaza, told the committee that the details of the plan have not as yet been finalized.
Another topic discussed at today's session was Elchanan Tenenbaum. MK Chaim Ramon (Labor) demanded that Col. (res.) Tenenbaum be stripped of his rank, while MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) said that the IDF should establish a committee of inquiry into the issue of classified information and to whom it is exposed. It is known that Tenenbaum was privy to a highly-secret defense project while in the army. Tenenbaum was scheduled to undergo a polygraph test today regarding his claim that he did not willingly meet Hizbullah terrorists, but was rather abducted by them on his way to making an illegal drug deal.