TEL AVIV, Israel -- Prime Minister Ariel Sharon indicated Israel would withdraw from the entire Gaza Strip if the arms smuggling problem there were resolved.
Israel is planning to pull out of the strip, except for a narrow sliver of land along the Egyptian border, in the second half of 2005.
The defense establishment reportedly wants to retain that strip to prevent arms smuggling to Gaza. It is concerned that weapons capable of hitting strategic Israeli targets would reach the strip unless checked.
The Haaretz newspaper reported Friday that Sharon had told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell of his desire to withdraw from Gaza and have "neither responsibility nor blame."
Sharon said the Egyptians are doing more than in the past to stop the smuggling, but not enough.
Egypt had proposed deploying 700 border policemen on its side of the border but Sharon told Powell, "It is not enough to guard the 200-kilometer border and deploy troops. The smuggling has to be stopped in the mainland," Haaretz reported.
