Partners In Peace Alert

A Palestinian was arrested at a checkpoint in the West Bank near Jenin carrying four pipe bombs. Meanwhile, the Egyptians captured nearly three tons of explosives that were destined for Gaza.

Security officers found the TNT on Tuesday concealed in 79 large bags in Sarsuriya district near the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, the official said.

Residents had tipped off police about the 3.5-ton cache, which had been prepared for smuggling through one of the many underground tunnels linking Gaza with Egypt.

Cairo has stepped up its efforts to close the tunnels, which are mainly used to send food and other goods to the impoverished Palestinian enclave, under blockade since the Islamist Hamas movement took it over in 2007.

Egypt is building an underground barrier to cut them off, after repeated efforts to find and demolish them, along with Israeli air strikes, failed to end the thriving smuggling trade.

Hamas is all over those smuggling tunnels and obtains a significant amount of its funding from taking a cut from all smuggling operations, including the use of the tunnels. It's a very profitable business and it is far easier for the terror group to operate those tunnels than it is to recognize Israel's existence.

Meanwhile, Hamas thugs are busy talking to Iranian press outlets claiming that Israel is creating the conditions for another intifada. Never mind that Hamas could stop trying to kill Israelis and stop trying to destroy Israel, which would result in more cross-border trade and improve conditions in Gaza. Hamas could stop trying to impose a theocracy in Gaza, which would improve matters. Iran could stop funding Hamas (and Hizbullah) which would greatly improve matters.

At the same time, Hamas has detained a British journalist, Paul Martin, with no explanation.