Egyptian Ambulances Smuggle Hamas Fighters And Weapons Into Gaza

You know, this story broke a few days announcing just that Egypt had decided to let ambulances carry injured Palestinians to Egyptian hospitals. Now, it has come out that the Egyptians have been looking the other way as ambulances returning back into Gaza carried seasoned Hamas fighters back to the fight - those fighters being part of those detained in Egypt earlier from the border incursions. There are also reports that weapons and munitions were also being transported into Gaza by the ambulances and all with the Egyptians allowing it.
And of course, Olmert's government is being tight-lipped on all of this - Olmert has always been leary of jeopardizing anti-terror agreements with Egypt but this makes about three huge violations in a row on Egypt's part - from allowing the palis to stream into Egypt, to the previous act of allowing Pali and Hamas pilgrims to reenter Gaza with money and weapons after a trek to Saudi Arabia and now this military transport system while Israeli troops are in danger in Gaza.

There is mention of some of Israel's hesitancy here to nail Egypt on this because of Secretary of State Rice's visit - good grief, get her into Israel now, and get her out as quickly as possible so the Israelis can go about protecting their land and people! And what exactly was Rice thinking? Why not reschedule the trip? Her visit has done nothing but enhance Hamas' position and endanger Israeli lives. Listen, I'm in no hurry to see George Bush's tenacity against jihadists end but I simply cannot wait to see Condi Rice done as Secretary of State. It can't happen soon enough for me.

Here's the full story from DEBKA.

Egyptian ambulances help Hamas smuggle fighters and weapons into Gaza

Sunday, March 2, Egypt re-opened Gaza’s Rafah crossing for the first time since Hamas blew up the border wall on Jan. 23 for ambulances to collect some 150 wounded Palestinians.
DEBKAfile’s military sources disclose that 27 ambulances also brought in 15-20 Hamas commando fighters, part of the of the 120-strong group rounded up in Sinai and detained on their return from advanced courses in Iran and Syria. They were permitted to cross back into Gaza with a quantity of weapons and ammunition.
Israel military sources are watching to see if the incoming ambulances are also carrying shoulder-borne anti-air missiles for shooting down Israeli helicopters and drones, which Hamas has been pressing Egypt to allow them to bring in. So far Cairo has resisted this demand but may have now relented. These sources describe the returning Hamas fighters as highly trained for guerilla warfare against conventional armies and therefore a valuable increment for Hamas’ war against Israel.
Our sources also confirm that the incoming group of trained fighters is not the first Cairo waved through the Rafah terminal. Last week, as fighting flared between Israel and Hamas, 17 were admitted to reinforce embattled Hamas. Israel officials imposed a blackout on this incident, reluctant to show the public the two-faced nature of Cairo’s policy of lenience for Hamas behind the mask of cooperation with Israel’s war on terror. The Olmert government also feared the exposure of the real state of affairs on the Gaza-Egyptian frontier notwithstanding its under-the-counter tacit acceptance of the buildup of Egyptian frontier troops to 1,500 in breach of the 1982 peace treaty.
Prime minister Olmert prefers to avoid any disclosures that might embarrass Cairo ahead of Condoleezza Rice’s visits to Israel, Ramallah and Egypt, starting Tuesday, March 4. According to our Washington sources, she will rap Palestinian knuckles for Hamas’ missile blitz, but at the same time tighten the screw on Israel to lift its siege of Gaza and reopen the border crossings. (Food and other convoys have never really stopped crossing into Gaza even under fire.)