EREZ TERMINAL, Israel - Israel will not seal off the Gaza Strip but is instead looking to invest millions of dollars in border crossings to help the Palestinian workforce and business thrive after its pullout from the territory, Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said Thursday.
Peres, who is in charge of coordinating the economic aspects of the disengagement plan with the Palestinians, said the Israelis understood that both sides would benefit from the territory's economic viability.
During a tour with journalists at the northern Erez and central Karni crossings, Peres highlighted some of the latest technology and building work that Israel was undertaking in the countdown to the August pullout.
The number of lanes for pedestrians at Erez was being doubled from four to eight, in a bid to vastly reduce the amount of time Palestinian workers would have to spend being processed by the Israeli authorities.
Plans were also on track to allow cargo, which currently has to entirely go through the central Karni terminal, to be transported in and out of Erez.
At Karni, Peres was also shown new hi-tech scanners which have already sharply reduced the amount of time that lorries have to wait for inspection.
Peres and officials from the ports authority, which is responsible for the terminals, said that there were already funds in place for more sophisticated multi-million-dollar Chinese-built scanners.
"It will cut the time trucks stay at the terminal from days to hours," said Peres, acknowledging that "time is money."
"We think the passages are the most important thing for the Gaza. We cannot leave Gaza and seal all the entrances and exits," said Peres, echoing a recent warning from US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Peres said that around 120 million dollars would need to be invested at the terminals, including the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
He said that 50 million dollars of the bill would be picked up the United States but could not guarantee where the rest would come from.
"We are spending money and hope that the rest will come from the international community," he added.
The deputy premier also underlined his desire to allow for a safe passage for goods and people from Gaza to the West Bank.
"It's clear that we have to enable cargos and people to cross from Gaza to the West Bank.
Earlier this year, the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said that after the withdrawal the territory would need improved links with the outside world in order to pull itself out of poverty.
"If borders open, if overseas links can be created and enterprise is allowed to flourish, then the disengagement has the potential to make a real difference to Palestinian lives," said an UNRWA official.
"But if not, then the humanitarian situation will remain depressingly bleak," UNRWA acting chief Karen Abu Zayd said in May.
About two thirds of Gaza 1.3 million residents live in abject poverty.
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