Special report: Palestine-Israel Relations

    GAZA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said the underground tunnels between Gaza and Egypt are not used for smuggling weapons, according to a Hamas statement released on Thursday

    "The tunnels are only used to bring goods and the missing medicine," said the statement, adding that Hamas manufactures its weapons in Gaza and gets the "heavy weapons" into Gaza through thesea.

    Hamas also said it is ready to end the phenomena of underground tunnels that extend under the border between Rafah city in southern Gaza and northern Sinai, if Egypt opens Rafah crossing point for the 1.4 residents of the Gaza Strip.

    The statement came after Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Olmert met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and discussed the arms smuggling into Gaza. It was reported that Barak praised Egypt's efforts in fighting against the tunnels.

    After Hamas took over the Gaza Strip last year, Israel sealed off all commercial crossing points into Gaza, and Egypt maintained the closure of Rafah crossing point.

    Since the sanctions intended to isolate Hamas started, the number of underground tunnels increased and the markets depended on the smuggled goods as Israel only allowed the basic humanitarian aid into Gaza.

    In June, Egypt brokered a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel to end the violence and ease the siege. But Hamas says Israel still restricts the flow of cargo into Gaza despite the calmness.