CBNNews.com - According to U.S. Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch, last month's border breach has changed Egypt's attitude toward the Hamas terror organization and the Gaza Strip, especially with regard to the Rafah crossing.

Welch says Egypt is ready to cooperate with Israel, the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the U.S. to end the crisis at the border.

According to Welch, the U.S. will provide Egypt with equipment to locate smuggling tunnels near the Rafah crossing, which should help thwart the massive flow of weaponry into the Gaza Strip from the Egyptian Sinai.

Welch called for a four-way security summit with Israel, Egypt, the PA and US to address the issues at the border crossings, including US backing of PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's proposal that Fatah security forces to control of the Karni and Sufa border crossings with Israel.

Meanwhile, PA chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia said U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans to revisit the region soon to jump start Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, which Qureia says have not begun in earnest.

Fayyad's itinerary in the U.S. includes a meeting with Rice to transfer funds to the PA.

Source: Haaretz