Israel's Spy Chief Warns Against Lifting Gaza Blockade

JERUSALEM (June 15) -- Israel's Shin Bet intelligence chief today warned that lifting the naval blockade on Gaza "would be a dangerous development for Israel."

Speaking to a parliamentary committee, spy chief Yuval Diskin argued against a proposal, floated in parliament and abroad, that Gaza-bound ships be inspected in Cyprus or another international port. "It would be a huge security breach, even if ships are inspected along the way in international ports en route to Gaza," Diskin said.

Since Israel's raid on a Turkish-flagged ship last month that left nine activists dead there has been growing pressure on Israel to lift the naval blockade of Gaza. Israel imposed it after Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and reinforced it after Hamas took sole control of Gaza in 2007.

A United Nations official today said the UN had reached an agreement with Israel to deliver much of the humanitarian cargo Israel seized in the May 31 raid on the six ships. An Israeli spokesman confirmed the agreement, which will allow the transfer of the cement seized from the ships with the caveat that it be used in Gaza only under U.N. supervision. Israeli officials have long maintained that Hamas can use cement to build bunkers, while international aid organizations say it is needed to repair homes destroyed in the fighting with Israel.

The Israeli domestic intelligence chief said that Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza have 5,000 rockets with a range of up to 25 miles, and could put large Israeli population centers at risk. He told the parliamentary committee that dozens of rockets in Gaza can reach Tel Aviv.

In January 2009, Israel launched a large-scale incursion into Gaza to stop rocket fire on Israel. Since then, rocket fire has decreased significantly. But Diskin warned that smuggling, including of weapons, continues via dozens of tunnels that run between Egypt and Gaza.

On Monday the Red Cross head of operations for the Middle East, Beatrice Megevand-Roggo, called for an end to the Gaza closure, terming the situation "unbearable" and noting that "people are surviving thanks to the external assistance that comes in, but it's a trickle compared to what is needed for Gaza."

Diskin disagreed. "There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, although I don't have any problem with easing the transfer of goods to Israel," he said. "But weapons are being smuggled right now from Sinai."

Israeli analysts say that lifting the blockade would strengthen Hamas, which has already gained ground since the Israeli takeover of the flotilla ship. Yet not lifting it exposes Israel to further international pressure. Iran today announced that another aid ship is on its way to Gaza, and Hezbollah said it will send a ship of women to break the Gaza blockade.

In another diplomatic blow to Israel, Ireland today announced it is expelling an Israeli diplomat to protest Israel's use of Irish passports in the January assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin said an investigation had showed that eight Irish passports used by suspects in the assassination earlier this year of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh were forgeries.

"The misuse of Irish passports by a state with which Ireland enjoys friendly, if sometimes frank, bilateral relations is clearly unacceptable and requires a firm response," he said in a statement.

Martin did not name the diplomat to be expelled and said the official is not suspected of any particular wrongdoing. Israel is widely believed to be responsible for the attack, although Israel has not confirmed it.

An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said Israel was "saddened " by the decision.