Mark Regev Gaza Quotations

We found solutions both sides can live with. The challenge was to find a successful balance between the very real security threats faced by Israel, while providing maximum movement in and out of Gaza for the Palestinians. I think it's a win-win agreement.

And the sad truth is that, today, unfortunately, the Palestinians are just not up to the challenge of policing their own border and preventing extremist, terrorist elements from coming in to the Gaza Strip,

Ever since accepting the Road Map and the idea of a two-state solution in 2003, Sharon has realized that all settlements in Gaza would have to be dismantled under any final-status agreement. What Sharon has been emphasizing to his opponents is that by evacuating them now, he gets badly-needed brownie points with the international community, which loves the fact that we're withdrawing from Gaza.

The fear was that extremists would use porous borders to pour into Gaza to bring in explosives, weaponry cash, and that would energize the most extremist elements in the Gaza Strip instead of helping the moderates. I think this agreement that we have reached today has the right balance. It provides the maximum possible movement for Palestinians to move in and out of Gaza, as they desire and for goods to come in and out of Gaza, and at the same time for that to be balanced with the very real security concerns that everyone has.

I'm hopeful that in the next few days we can reach understandings that can allow the maximum possible flow. It's in everyone's interest, including our own, that Gaza will be a success story.

Gaza will be turned over the Palestinians in full and with the completion of that process ... Israel's presence in Gaza will be part of history.