Hamas lifts siege of three carabinieri in Gaza, after assertaining their identity
The story of the three Italian military personeel serving the Italian consulate of Jerusalem. The three had taken refuge in the Unrwa headquarters in the Strip after a gun battle with the militia. Maximum alert in the area after the Israeli undercover operation in November.
Gaza (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The story of three Italian carabinieri [military police] forced to seek refuge at the United Nations headquarters in Gaza, was resolved overnight. According to local media reports, Hamas militias - which control the Strip - lifted the siege after ascertaining the identity of the three soldiers, suspected of being members of Israeli special forces operating with a false diplomatic identity.
The incident erupted on January 14, when the car in which the three carabinieri were traveling did not stop at a checkpoint in the center of Gaza, resulting in a chase through the streets of the city, with the exchange of gunshots between the Italians and their pursuers.
The military - serving the Italian consulate in Jerusalem - then took refuge inside the Unrwa headquarters (the UN mission in Palestine) in Gaza, in the western sector of the city. According to Palestinian sources re-launched by Arabi21, local UN officials would have ensured that "the three are foreign diplomats, with Italian nationality and entered Gaza on an official mission".
A team of Palestinian investigators entered the UN structure, ascertaining the identity of the military and the weapons in their possession. At the same time, an official note was published in Rome certifying their nationality, while the consul in Jerusalem, Fabio Sokolowicz, met the Hamas Interior Minister to clarify their position.
These elements led the militiamen to lift the siege and allow the Carabinieri free passage today, with the reopening of the Eretz pass. They will return to Jerusalem, and then leave for Italy. However, the details of the story remain still confused and there is no official information about it.
Alert levels are at their highest in the Strip, after the Israeli and Palestinian gun battles last November, which led to fears of a possible military escalation. At the time a special commando of Israeli military forces with penetrated into Palestinian territory in an undercover operation. Seven Palestinians and an Israeli soldier died in the clashes.
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