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Defense Minister: Israel Won't Allow Hamas to Rearm

CBN

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JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Israel will not allow Hamas to rebuild the terror infrastructure destroyed during the military operation in the Gaza Strip in July.

In a meeting in New York with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ya'alon said rebuilding damaged neighborhoods is also in Israel's best interests. At the same time, he warned, Israel will not allow the funds, equipment and material intended for Gaza residents to be used for terrorism.

"We want the residents of Gaza to live in dignity and prosperity, rebuild their homes and return to normal life," Ya'alon said.

The defense minister was referring to statements by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, which said was reconstructing the attack tunnels with the materials, not rebuilding the homes of Gaza's residents.

Ya'alon said Israel would not allow terror groups to siphon off materials to rebuild the network of smuggling tunnels. During Operation Protective Edge, Israeli troops destroyed 34 attack tunnels dug under Israel's border with the Gaza Strip.

During the meeting, Ya'alon also said that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas invests his time in attempting to delegitimize Israel in the international community rather than sitting down together to work out solutions beneficial to both peoples.

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