 Israel's defence minister has threatened to shut down crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel if the Palestinians do not improve operations at the Gaza-Egypt border. Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz spoke a day after a senior Hamas activist returned to Gaza after 15 years of exile, using the Palestinian-operated crossing. It was not clear whether Mofaz's threat was linked to the return of Fadel Zahar, brother of Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar. Fadel Zahar had been deported by Israel to Lebanon in 1991. On Tuesday, he entered Gaza through the Rafah terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border, which is operated by Palestinians under the supervision of European monitors.
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Israel has expressed concern that Palestinian resistance fighters and weapons would enter Gaza once the Palestinians are in charge of the border. |