No humanitarian crisis exists in Gaza, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief Yuval Diskin told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC) on Tuesday.
"There is no humanitarian crisis in the Strip. If there were to be a loosening
of trade restrictions from Israel to Gaza - no problem. The smuggling
that endangers Israeli security is coming from the tunnels in the
Sinai," said Diskin.
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While Diskin did not object to easing the
blockade, he said that the most dangerous smuggling goes through the
tunnels.
The opening of a seaport in the Gaza Strip would "pose a huge security threat to
Israel," Diskin told the FADC.
Diskin went on to say that Hamas
and Islamic Jihad have thousands of home-made missiles, some of which
can reach Gush Dan.
"Hamas and Islamic Jihad have over 5,000
rockets with ranges of up to 40 kilometers, most home-made, but dozens
of more technologically advanced models that have been smuggled into
Strip."