Lieberman Doubts Gaza Truce Can Last

Local Editor

"Israeli" Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday he doubted the current Gaza ceasefire would hold over the long term and that disarming Gaza resistance fighters was not feasible any time soon.

After briefing "Israeli" journalists he was quoted across the local media as saying that he thought the chances of Egypt-mediated talks achieving their goal of a durable Gaza truce were slim.

"Any ceasefire, in my opinion, will be limited in time," Lieberman said.

He further stated: "Disarming the coastal strip was not on the immediate horizon, but it should be kept in the forefront of international public opinion."
"Demilitarization is not realistic at the moment," he was quoted as saying.
But he said that no other force but "Israel" would be capable of enforcing and verifying disarmament.

"Nobody will bring about disarmament but us," he said. "Nobody else will go from house to house like us."

At the start of a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Boerge Brende, Lieberman said that "the immediate challenge was how to allow reconstruction of war-shattered Gaza without allowing money and materials reaching Hamas."

"The issue is first of all how to rebuild the civilian infrastructure and prevent Hamas to rebuild the terrorist infrastructure," he said in English in remarks broadcast on an "Israeli" television and radio.

"Israeli" President Reuven Rivlin also raised the subject when he met Brende.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team