It's Hamas or chaos, says out-going Israeli general

Smoke and fire from an Israeli strike rise over Gaza City. File photo / AP

The general who led Israel's war against Hamas last year believes it is in Israel's interest that Hamas continue to rule the Gaza Strip.

"Hamas knows how to exercise power over the other [armed elements] in Gaza," said Major General Sami Turjeman, who is about to step down as commanding officer of Israel's Southern Front. "As of now, there is no substitute."

If Hamas did not exist, he said, the only alternatives would be chaos or the takeover of the strip by the Israeli Army, a proposition with little support in Israel.

Turjeman was speaking to leaders of villages bordering the strip which came under fire during the 50-day-long conflict.

He said war was bound to break out periodically with Hamas, which is dedicated to Israel's destruction. There have been three since Hamas' takeover of Gaza in 2007. But the objective should be to nurture the intervals of quiet between the flare ups as long as possible.

Hamas' Government was depicted by the general as behaving like the arm of a sovereign state that enjoys the support of most of Gaza's population. It has an annual budget, he noted, as well as executive bodies and inspection authorities.

He did not use the terrorist label often applied to Hamas, particularly by Israeli political leaders. Although Hamas has started to rebuild its military arm, "like every army after a war", it is presently interested in a period of quiet, Turjeman said.

The general criticised the Palestinian Authority on the West Bank for failing to take over the reconstruction of the strip as the international community, including Israel, is urging. Hamas has not rejected the proposal, but President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Government have been unenthusiastic about becoming involved in the troublesome region.

Turjeman said Hamas and its allies succeeded in inserting 45 fighters into Israeli territory through cross-border tunnels in last year's war. Eight Israeli soldiers were killed by them and a number of infiltrators were killed as well.

During the war, he said he had opposed the evacuation of border communities, but in the next round it would be advisable to evacuate some residents. The general said that "significant progress" has been made in developing a system that can detect tunnels being dug.

There have been reports in the Israeli media that Israel received a detailed proposal a few months ago from Hamas for a period of calm that would extend for five to 10 years. Israel did not respond but, writes Alex Fishman, military correspondent for Yediot Ahronot, "Israel is rolling into a dialogue with Hamas".

Unofficial discussions are being held about rebuilding in Gaza and the creation of new water and electricity infrastructures. Both Israel's political and military echelons are encouraging these talks, writes Turjeman.

Since the beginning of the year, 33,000 trucks have entered Gaza from Israeli territory with supplies and around 40,000 Gazans have received permits to enter Israel, half of them merchants.