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Palestinian pilgrims arriving in Gaza from the Rafah crossing on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 22:10 02/01/2008
Hamas thanks Egypt for ensuring return of Palestinian pilgrims
By The Associated Press
Tags: Palestinians, Egypt, Hamas 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday thanked Cairo for ensuring the return of hundreds of Palestinians to the Gaza Strip, ending a five-day standoff that left them stranded in Egypt after following an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

About 2,200 Palestinians began pouring into Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing earlier Wednesday.

Egypt's decision to let the pilgrims back through Rafah, a terminal on its border with Gaza, drew a rebuke from Israel which has been trying to choke off Hamas while reviving peace talks with the Islamist group's rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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An aide to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who met Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak last week, said the sides had agreed the pilgrims would enter Gaza through Israel's Kerem Shalom terminal and be vetted by security agents.

"What has happened in Rafah is in contravention of our agreements," the aide told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told Israel's Channel 10 television that the on Wednesday, "I think that on this matter it is very important for Israel to insist -- and stand firm on its right to do so -- that the border between Egypt-Sinai and the Strip be closed and that neither terrorists nor weapons get through."

"To me this looks like a trivial matter (to achieve). Regrettably, it's not trivial from the Egyptians' viewpoint," he said.


Hamiyeh said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia had also helped ensure the pilgrims' return "in dignity". Hamas television hailed it as a "victory".

"Thank God we have carried out our religious duties and returned to Gaza," said pilgrim Abu Mohammad after crossing back into Gaza. Performing the hajj is a religious obligation for all Muslims who are physically able to do so.

Among those coming through Rafah were former Fatah-linked security officers who fled Gaza during Hamas's takeover. Fatah sources and witnesses said Hamas detained at least 15 of the Fatah men. Hamas sources put the number at nine.

Two people, including one traveler holding a large cloth bag, were the first to pass through the Rafah terminal, greeted by green-vested representatives of Hamas, the Islamic group that rules Gaza. The two were followed by a flood of returning pilgrims walking across the border.

The pilgrims left Gaza last month to make a religious pilgrimage to Saudi
Arabia. They became trapped in Egypt on their way home last weekend when the Egyptian government said they would have to cross through Kerem Shalom, an Israel Defense Forces-controlled crossing, instead of going directly into Gaza through the Rafah terminal.

Israel, which considers Hamas a terrorist group, fears that some of the
travelers are carrying large sums of money for Gaza's Hamas rulers.

Fearing capture by the Israelis, Hamas leaders among the pilgrims refused to go through the alternate crossing. The pilgrims rioted in temporary camps set up for them by Egypt and have threatened a hunger strike.

Estimates originally put the number of pilgrims at 3,000, but Egyptian
security officials said Wednesday that 2,152 were slated to return to Gaza.

Egyptian official: Israel was informed of decision
An Egyptian official said Wednesday that Israel had been informed of the
Egyptian decision to let the pilgrims back.

But Israeli defense officials said Israel hadn't approved their return and that Egypt's decision to let them back into Gaza contradicts understandings between Israel and Egypt. Officials in the foreign ministry said they had not been informed about Egypt's decision.

Mushir al-Masri, a Hamas lawmaker who came to the crossing to greet the
returning pilgrims, praised Egypt earlier Wednesday for its decision.

"This is a humanitarian case since the start. Egypt's position was laudable. We thank Egypt," al-Masri said.

The pilgrims' return seemed likely to inflame tensions between Israel and
Egypt. The two states signed a peace deal in 1979, but friction between them have been on the rise recently because of Israeli concerns that Egypt isn't doing enough to stop Palestinian arms smuggling into Gaza.

In a spat between the countries last week, Foreign Minister Tzipi
Livni said Egypt was doing a terrible job of securing the border.

In an angry response, Egypt's foreign ministry said she should not speak
randomly about issues she should not be dealing with if she is not fully aware of the situation. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned Monday that Egypt would retaliate diplomatically.

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, apparently trying to contain the damage,
said in a published interview Monday that he valued Egypt's friendship and prays for the health of President Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt has kept Rafah closed since Hamas violently seized control of Gaza last June. It agreed to make an exception and open the crossing to allow the pilgrims to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca last month. That move also drew Israeli objections.

Israel has been blockading Gaza since Hamas, which openly calls for Israel's destruction, came to power there in June.

Related articles:
  • Palestinian pilgrims in Egypt threaten hunger strike over Gaza return
  • Hamas: Egypt agrees to allow Gazan pilgrims to return through Rafah
  • IDF: Palestinian pilgrim killed at Erez crossing shot by our troops
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      1.   As you should have done in the first place 14:05  |  David James Vickery 02/01/08
      2.   Egypt should have done a week ago 14:39  |  Egyptian 02/01/08
      3.   Egypt is a gift 14:50  |  ryan 02/01/08
      4.   YES!!! 14:56  |  muslim 02/01/08
      5.   Palestinians: victims of the greatest injustice in history 15:10  |  nobodysacred 02/01/08
      6.   How wrong! 15:12  |  Hassan 02/01/08
      7.   #2 15:13  |  Michael 02/01/08
      8.   At last,egypt is not hanging on to the coat tails of israel! 15:20  |  lakshmi 02/01/08
      9.   Egyptian citizen shows why you can`t trust peace agreements with 15:54  |  trembling palestine 02/01/08
      10.   nobody sacred? 15:56  |  Jeroen de Jager 02/01/08
      11.   the only reason Cairo survived 1973 is because 15:59  |  dust in the scale 02/01/08
      12.   Egypt: the weak healer that make stinking sores 16:02  |  Jeroen de Jager 02/01/08
      13.   If Egypt is a gift can I get a refund 16:42  |  late shopper 02/01/08
      14.   Hassan: Egypt is famous for its mythology 16:44  |  stinktoe 02/01/08
      15.   dust on the brain#11 16:47  |  brain duster 02/01/08
      16.   An Interesting Dilemma 16:54  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/01/08
      17.   Jeroen de Jager - Dutch? 16:58  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/01/08
      18.   Haaretz: please don`t slant it 17:09  |  1 state 02/01/08
      19.   #18 Hear, hear 17:32  |  Outsider 02/01/08
      20.   18Lier, When did Hamas offer PEACE? Read its Charter! 17:44  |  I 02/01/08
      21.   This was done despite agreements between Israel and 17:45  |  Eli 02/01/08
      22.   Dream on Hassan! 17:48  |  `73 vet 02/01/08
      23.   Egypt needs to tell Israel to sod off. 17:59  |  mrmcghoo 02/01/08
      24.   To 5 -Historical Palestine! 18:00  |  Vital 02/01/08
      25.   when mubarak loses his US welfare as zion demands 18:00  |  muslim 02/01/08
      26.   Truce (Really?) 18:00  |  Barry 02/01/08
      27.   22. oh pleeeeeeeze vet`73 18:03  |  muslim 02/01/08
      28.   An example of the word compromise in arab language 18:09  |  Alain 02/01/08
      29.   To #27 18:25  |  Oleg 02/01/08
      30.   29. oleg lying for zion 18:40  |  muslim 02/01/08
      31.   Nobody sacred 18:41  |  Avrum 02/01/08
      32.   29. proof in the putting olega 18:44  |  muslim 02/01/08
      33.   re#18 Challengig 1 state !!!!!!!!!!!! 18:46  |  Alberto Cohen 02/01/08
      34.   re#18 Challengig 1 state !!!!!!!!!!!! 18:47  |  Alberto Cohen 02/01/08
      35.   re#18 Challengig 1 state !!!!!!!!!!!! 18:47  |  Alberto Cohen 02/01/08
      36.   oh come on! 18:47  |  samuel 02/01/08
      37.   CONGRATULATIONS TO PALESTINIANS PILGRIMS ... 18:50  |  TrippleJump 02/01/08
      38.   Another "small cheating" (tosesta definition) by Egypt !!! 18:54  |  Alberto Cohen 02/01/08
      39.   33. Alberto the self styled Cohen 19:03  |  muslim 02/01/08
      40.   36. sammy boy 19:05  |  muslim 02/01/08
      41.   For the sake of real peace, Israel must not interfere 19:12  |  Abu Samra 02/01/08
      42.   the palastinians are who exactly? 19:16  |  Nick 02/01/08
      43.   #5 Nobody sacred 19:18  |  Angus 02/01/08
      44.   To Mr. Muslim 19:19  |  Oleg 02/01/08
      45.   #36..muslim 19:20  |  sammy boy 02/01/08
      46.   Palestinian pilgrims return to Gaza,ending five .. 19:23  |  Sam Popack 02/01/08
      47.   To # 5. Nobodysacred, The rights of Israel exist 19:31  |  Altalena 02/01/08
      48.   44. Oli the refugee from IDF draft safe in NYC 19:31  |  muslim 02/01/08
      49.   45. sammy knows where i live? 19:33  |  muslim 02/01/08
      50.   palastinaian tolerence 19:35  |  ariel 02/01/08
      51.   Hamas thanks Egypt for return of Palestinian pilgrims 19:38  |  Mubarak 02/01/08
      52.   On orders from Tehran... 19:40  |  Fortuna Benmayor 02/01/08
      53.   re#39 answering "muslim" 19:41  |  Alberto Cohen 02/01/08
      54.   #14 - Stinktoe`s Version of Mythology 19:44  |  DoubleClick 02/01/08
      55.   Egypt 19:45  |  ilaetzter 02/01/08
      56.   # 49 Muslim 19:46  |  Sammy Boy 02/01/08
      57.   Paper agreements are worthless 19:47  |  B 02/01/08
      58.   #18 One Jewish State 19:50  |  Tippol Aleihem 02/01/08
      59.   David James Vickery: Why do you hide your new name, Dhoud? 19:54  |  Vittorio 02/01/08
      60.   Yet Another Example of Worthlessness of Treaties 20:01  |  Straight Talk 02/01/08
      61.   Victory is in the hands of our prophet, the teddy bear 20:01  |  muslim 02/01/08
      62.   What do you expect from a Muslim nation? 20:05  |  Denton 02/01/08
      63.   did you know? 20:12  |  sammy boy 02/01/08
      64.   Palestinians simply can`t win 20:13  |  Paul Wood 02/01/08
      65.   # 6 Hassan...then Sadat was the only intelligent 20:16  |  Lynn 02/01/08
      66.   i am not in the least concerned 20:20  |  harzion 02/01/08
      67.   who was it who said israel is responsible for gaza 20:23  |  harzion 02/01/08
      68.   egypt has supplied many tons of arms and explosives to the 20:26  |  harzion 02/01/08
      69.   Hamas thanks Egypt for ensuring return of Palestinian pilgrims 20:29  |  Joe 02/01/08
      70.