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DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources that Gaza's Hamas strongman Mahmoud A-Zahar was given an Israeli safe passage to travel from Gaza to Cairo in mid-February.He made straight for Damascus and Tuesday, March 3, was flown to Tehran to deliver the keynote speech at a conference called by the Islamic Republic as a counterweight to the international donors' conference sponsored by the US and Egypt this week.The Iranians claimed that representatives of 80 countries arrived, including at least 20 parliamentary speakers from Arab and Islamic nations. Present too are Hamas, Fatah and Islamic Jihad delegations and the head of the Palestinian national assembly.The draft resolution prepared for endorsement Wednesday calls for Israeli leaders to be prosecuted for "war crimes" in the Gaza Strip.They name Israel's president Shimon Peres, prime minister Ehud Olmert, Defense minister Ehud Barak and foreign minister Tzipi Livni, as well as a list of army officers.DEBKAfile notes that Barak gave the A-Zahar a special dispensation to travel from Gaza Saturday, Feb. 14 after Egyptian intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman persuadedhis envoy Amos Gilead that A-Zahar would be willing to sign onto a long-term truce in the Gaza Strip. He assured Israel that hardline Khaled Meshaal's deputy, Mussa Abu Marzuk, would add his signature to the document and the process would bring forward the release of the captive Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit against the wishes of Meshaal and his backers in Tehran.Notwithstanding all the evidence to the contrary-including daily missile fire from the Gaza Strip-the defense minister is still sticking to his guns about the imminence of a ceasefire.Instead of working to that end, A-Zahar has used his freedom to crisscross the Middle East, repeatedly visiting Damascus and Qatar and looking after Hamas' logistical and financial concerns and the replenishment of its arsenal.Wednesday, he is due to address the Tehran conference on "Israel's crimes"-excluding the permission given him to travel despite his key role in the crimes of terror and human rights abuses committed by his organization, the Palestinian Hamas.As in the days of Noah...
