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Public Security Minister Avi Dichter. (Dror Artzi / Jini)
Last update - 09:40 25/01/2008
Rice: Egypt must ensure border security
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Egypt, Hamas, Israel, Gaza

Egypt must ensure the security of its border on the Gaza Strip where militants have blown a hole in the wall built by Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday.

"I understand that it's a difficult situation for them. But it is an international border. It needs to be protected and I believe that Egypt understands the importance of doing that," Rice told reporters before arriving in Medellin on a trip to promote a free trade agreement with Colombia.

Rice blamed Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, for the situation that led to the destruction on Wednesday of a 200-meter section of the six-meter-high metal border wall.
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"This problem has come first and foremost out of the security situation created by Hamas in Gaza and their unwillingness to stop - and I'm quite certain they could if they wished to - the rocket fire against Israel," Rice said.

"With that said, the innocent people of Gaza are in a very difficult situation and we've stressed with the Israelis to do everything that they can to allow humanitarian aid to continue," Rice said.

Rice said that Israel had been responsive to the humanitarian concerns raised by the United States.

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      1.   If Sharon was alive - what do you think he would do? 02:08  |  Avi 24/01/08
      2.   The Egyptians and the UN Peace keepers in Lebanon 02:11  |  Avi 24/01/08
      3.   Where did Egypt agree to commit war crimes? 02:23  |  Pablo B 24/01/08
      4.   Future hostages, human shields, what more can the killers want? 02:30  |  Avi 24/01/08
      5.   I doubt the Europeans would come if invited 02:36  |  Avi 24/01/08
      6.   israel expected egyptians to do their job 02:41  |  solitarioh2005 24/01/08
      7.   Egypt should tell Israel......... 02:53  |  Deborah 24/01/08
      8.   Arms & terrorists were smuggled in anyway... 03:19  |  Free Gilad Shalit 24/01/08
      9.   Israel calls upon the UN to "soften it`s language." 03:29  |  Maureen Ann 24/01/08
      10.   Gaza border 03:44  |  Jason 24/01/08
      11.   Gaza 03:47  |  Edithann 24/01/08
      12.   The Egyptian FM has said today that Egypt will keep the Rafah 03:50  |  lakshmi 24/01/08
      13.   Wishful thinking 03:58  |  Shmengy 24/01/08
      14.   When will Israel learn? 04:16  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 24/01/08
      15.   When you press a pimple 04:27  |  Mark Lincoln 24/01/08
      16.   #6 Maureen Ann 04:27  |  Franco 24/01/08
      17.   Re: #3 04:30  |  David 24/01/08
      18.   If his article is true, then Israel is in danger 04:32  |  Mark Lincoln 24/01/08
      19.   Dangerous moment indeed, Mark 04:45  |  David James Vickery 24/01/08
      20.   #2 Solitarioh2005 04:49  |  Franco 24/01/08
      21.   re: Pablo B 05:10  |  Efox 24/01/08
      22.   Egypt had no Trouble Shooting Unarmed Africans 05:15  |  Efox 24/01/08
      23.   re: Mark Lincoln 05:18  |  Efox 24/01/08
      24.   re: Maureen Ann 05:19  |  Efox 24/01/08
      25.   Collective punishment is unpopular outside of Israel 05:33  |  Natallie Durson 24/01/08
      26.   #23 Efox. Poor fox... 05:41  |  Maureen Ann 24/01/08
      27.   #14 Rabbi Yakov Lazaros. Love... 05:59  |  Maureen Ann 24/01/08
      28.   To #14 06:08  |  USA citizen 24/01/08
      29.   UN 247 Demands Security Garantees from Arabs , 06:11  |  Joseph E . 24/01/08
      30.   How does Livni now sounds when she proudly say a terror state 06:24  |  Joseph E . 24/01/08
      31.   Defense establishment angry at Egypt. 06:26  |  David 24/01/08
      32.   I agree with #25 N. Durson 06:43  |  Franco 24/01/08
      33.   Nothing irrational about it James 06:55  |  Jacob Blues 24/01/08
      34.   Israeli collective punishment faces setback 07:03  |  Aaron Levitt 24/01/08
      35.   border 07:30  |  colin 24/01/08
      36.   Lets get real 07:51  |  Danite 24/01/08
      37.   mark Lincoln 07:53  |  Danite 24/01/08
      38.   Its not Egypt job stupid --its a nature of things 07:55  |  Sal 24/01/08
      39.   Re Josph E #29, 30 etc 07:58  |  Esther 24/01/08
      40.   The Great Escape 08:03  |  maoriboy 24/01/08
      41.   DO THE MATH... 08:18  |  MIKE 24/01/08
      42.   what kind of idiots are they that thought egypt would keep its wo 08:26  |  v hardman 24/01/08
      43.   Israel is angry at Egypt? 08:38  |  Colin Wright 24/01/08
      44.   5. I doubt the Europeans would come if invited 08:44  |  Euro-Jew 24/01/08
      45.   BARAK: MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE 08:44  |  indrajaya 24/01/08
      46.   1. If Sharon was alive ... 08:48  |  ugg-the-moron 24/01/08
      47.   #18 Mark Lincoln 08:54  |  Guber 24/01/08
      48.   #Natallie Durson 08:55  |  Antony 24/01/08
      49.   Is Israel really angry? 08:56  |  redmike 24/01/08
      50.   Keep the Gaza-Egypt border open! 08:57  |  Motke Chabad 24/01/08
      51.   Why are we furious?? 09:00  |  Dror 24/01/08
      52.   Egypt should not be trusted. 09:06  |  Harold lane 24/01/08
      53.   The difference between a "cold peace" and a "warm peace"....... 09:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 24/01/08
      54.   # 13 Shmengy: Wishful thinking 09:07  |  Traude 24/01/08
      55.   You can almost see the steam coming out of his ears! 09:22  |  Johnboy 24/01/08
      56.   now there`s a good idea Dror! start a war w/Egypt 09:22  |  Assad-u-LLAH 24/01/08
      57.   WHEN ISRAEL PUT THE LAST SPY- 09:24  |  Robert 24/01/08
      58.   Aaron Levit - Palestinian State faces setback 09:25  |  Gina 24/01/08
      59.   "and the walls came down, all the way to heaven" 09:27  |  Sigrid Black 24/01/08
      60.   Egypt - Don`t forget to have those UN humanitarian trucks 09:28  |  Gina 24/01/08
      61.   #33 Just livin` in cloud-coo-coo-land, Jacob 09:32  |  Johnboy 24/01/08
      62.   Swiss 09:33  |  Gina 24/01/08
      63.   The Egyptian border is OPEN ,,, 09:38  |  Daniel 24/01/08
      64.   Israel desperately trying to make lemonade out of lemons 09:41  |  Clickfool 24/01/08
      65.   WONDERFUL!! NOW SEAL OFF BORDERS 09:42  |  Levi 24/01/08
      66.   Ok now also stop the sea and airblockade. 09:42  |  Guido 24/01/08
      67.   #41 - Check your facts before...... 09:43  |  Sal 24/01/08
      68.   #43 Colin hits the nail on the head. 09:45  |  Johnboy 24/01/08
      69.   Israel wants to sever connections with the Hamas-controlled Gaza 09:46  |  Gina 24/01/08
      70.   Dror - airstrikes or worse? How original! 09:46  |  Palestinian Brit 24/01/08
      71.   GAZA RETURNED TO ITS MOTHER LAND ! 09:47  |  Akram Zekaria 24/01/08
      72.   #61 Johnboy 09:51  |