U.S. to Israel: Allow Egypt to Arm Palestinian Bader Division 18:23 Nov 07, '06 / 16 Cheshvan 5767
(IsraelNN.com) The United States is pressuring Israel to approve the transfer of thousands of guns from Egypt to the Palestinian Bader Division in Jordan prior to the unit’s deployment in Gaza.
According to an unnamed official quoted by the Haaretz news service, U.S. President George Bush expects the division to arrive in Gaza prior to his meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Washington next Monday.
He also said that political means could also be used to deal with terrorism activity aimed at Israel from Gaza, in addition to military solutions.
The official added that the Bush administration believes the humanitarian issues in Gaza must be addressed in order to prevent a swell of support for the Hamas terrorist group that currently leads the Palestinian Authority government.