Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., January 25, 2008 Shvat 18, 5768 | | Israel Time: 18:46 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Gazans cross the border with Egypt on Wednesday as Egyptian security personnel look on. (AP) Last update - 15:41 24/01/2008 Egypt rejects idea of Israel waiving responsibility for Gaza By Yoav Stern and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and News Agencies Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel  A top Egyptian official said Thursday that Egypt's border with Gaza would go back to normal, and strongly rejected the idea - floated by Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai - that Israel might relinquish all responsibility for the troubled Gaza Strip. "This is a wrong assumption," Hossam Zaki, the official spokesman for Egypt's foreign ministry, said of Israeli hints that it was thinking of giving up all responsibility for Gaza including supplying electricity, now that the territory's southern border with Egypt is open. Advertisement "The current situation is only an exception and for temporary reasons, Zaki said. "The border will go back to normal." Meanwhile, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday called on Gazans not to clash with Egyptian security forces guarding the border, a day after ilitants smashed the frontier fence and flooded into Egypt. "We reject attempts to create crisis with Egyptian security forces in Rafah," Mubarak said. "We know very well our national security considerations. We will not give them up and we will not let anyone harm them or attempt to harm them." Mubarak also called on Palestinian militants to put an end to their disagreements and work to improve the situation in the impoverished Strip. "We call on the son of Palestine from all faction to put their nation's suffering above all other considerations," he said. The Egyptian president also slammed Israel for cutting of fuel supplies to Gaza, saying the peace process "could not afford another failure." He added that Egypt would not all the residents of Gaza to starve or become victims to a humanitarian tragedy. U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns said Thursday on a visit to Israel that while Hamas itself was to blame for the shortages of basic goods in the Gaza Strip, it was up to Egypt to restore order at the border. "Obviously it is going to be up to the Egyptian government to bring under control the situation along the border," he said before meeting with Israeli officials. Hamas says studying possibility of role in official Egypt crossing Meanwhile, a Hamas spokesman said Thursday that Hamas may seek a role in a future on the Gaza-Egypt border and would prefer an official crossing point over an open border. "An open border like this has no logic," Hamas government spokesman Taher Nunu said. "We are studying the mechanism of having an official crossing point." However, it is not clear whether Egypt would acquiesce to such a suggestion. Mubarak has been under intense public pressure at home in recent days to alleviate the suffering of Gazans under blockade, but Egypt would likely be reluctant to have an open border with a territory ruled by Islamic militants. Egyptian riot police gathered at the Gaza-Egypt border on Thursday, directing traffic away from the frontier fence smashed by the Hamas militants a day earlier. Dozens of Egyptian police in helmets and with search dogs used batons to beat the hoods of private cars and pickup trucks that massed at the border to carry Palestinians further into Egyptian territory. Thousands of Palestinians continued to flow through the wrecked border fence into Egypt on foot, however, and Egyptian forces also deployed south of the Sinai town of El-Arish in order to prevent Palestinians from traveling further into the country. Egyptian forces who were posted along Gaza's southern border on Sunday stood by as Palestinian masses poured through Wednesday to stock up on goods in short supply due to an Israeli blockade. Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Thursday the Rafah crossing would remain open as long as there continues to be a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, CNN reported. "We are not opening the Rafah crossing just for everybody to cross - we're opening it because it's a very dire humanitarian situation," said ministry spokesman Hassam Zaki. An aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said however, that he was "not happy" with the fact that his Hamas rivals can now freely enter Egypt. On Wednesday, U.S. and Arab officials said Wednesday that Egypt had assured the United States it would soon reseal its border with the Gaza Strip. An Arab diplomat said Egypt told the U.S. it expects the Palestinians' exodus from Gaza to end by midday Thursday, but a senior U.S. official said Egypt has not been precise about when it will stop the flow. Egyptian drivers idled their pickup trucks just inside Egyptian territory, charging incoming Palestinians 20 Egyptian pounds ($3.60) for a ride into downtown Rafah and neighboring El Arish. A few dozen Palestinians could also be seen returning to Gaza loaded with groceries. Men stood on the border, handing bags of supplies across to people inside the Palestinian territory. A Hamas spokesman said the organization had paid 16,000 government employees early, and paid an aid stipend to 8,500 farmers so they could go shopping. Related articles: High Court to hold urgent hearing on Gaza blockade HANALYSIS: Gaza border breach shows Israel that Hamas is in charge Gaza source: Hamas planned border wall blast for months Hamas takes control at frontier as 200,000 Gazans enter Egypt Bookmark to del.icio.us   Dear Mr. Olmert An American yeshiva student asks Olmert to heed secular Israelis on J'lem's fate. Work stoppage Olmert totally freezes new building in all West Bank settlements.   1.   Egypt and the Arab refugee problem. 11:00  |  Harold Lane 24/01/08   2.   The PRISON GATES HAVE BEEN OPENED 11:31  |  Scott Hunter 24/01/08   3.   #2 Scott - Prison gates open - boil has been lanced 12:10  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   4.   to 1 if your theory is right ...start packing! 12:11  |  Michele 24/01/08   5.   Gaza 12:12  |  Maerton 24/01/08   6.   Israel`s problem in forcing the imposition of a medievil siege 12:29  |  Chris Linthwaite 24/01/08   7.   Iconic Images of Freedom 12:38  |  Genuine Toughsitter 24/01/08   8.   Go back where yuo came from!!! 12:43  |  Fred the Magnet Man 24/01/08   9.   Strangelove 12:46  |  Palestinian Brit 24/01/08   10.   Reunite Rafiah 13:09  |  Ethan 24/01/08   11.   To Maerton 13:16  |  THW 24/01/08   12.   Egypt Is At War With Israel 13:24  |  goodbye Sadat 24/01/08   13.   Palestinian Brit 13:31  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   14.   More evidence that the Israeli Uncle Tom is a traitor 13:41  |  Clickfool 24/01/08   15.   Michelle - Decimate Italy 13:43  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   16.   #4 One day, when money dry`s out in the EU 13:44  |  24/01/08   17.   to maerton from kfar vardim 13:45  |  palestenian 24/01/08   18.   For Goodbye Sadat # 12 13:47  |  Clickfool 24/01/08   19.   #4 One day, when money dry`s out in the EU,Eu will crack like 13:48  |  IL supporter 24/01/08   20.   Bright Side 13:51  |  ERSB 24/01/08   21.   Clickfool 14:08  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   22.   Egyptian 14:10  |  Omar 24/01/08   23.   A solution for Clickfool 14:21  |  ATLAS 24/01/08   24.   To #18-It`s Lose-Lose For Egypt 14:32  |  goodbye Sadat 24/01/08   25.   Qassams are not legitimate instrument of negotiating peace. 14:38  |  akiva (zionist) 24/01/08   26.   Atlas`s solution for Clickfool - and did those feet in ancient ti 14:40  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   27.   Egypt plays the Hero to Israels Villian 15:01  |  Natallie Durson 24/01/08   28.   Strangelove 15:45  |  Palestinian Brit 24/01/08   29.   Egypt always waives it responsibilities,even when it ruled Gaza 15:49  |  Jo 24/01/08   30.   ONLY SOLUTION: GAZA UNDER EGYPT; PARTS OF W.BANK LINKED TO JORDAN 15:52  |  G. Marcus 24/01/08   31.   Prison Gates Open 15:52  |  Orna Goldwater 24/01/08   32.   To 27. The problem is the lack of intelligence 16:03  |  Argentinian 24/01/08   33.   Gaza Circus 16:21  |  Jane 24/01/08   34.   Why Does Egypt Want the Gazans walled up again? 16:22  |  aaronovitch 24/01/08   35.   Egypt and the Arab refugees problem. 16:33  |  Harold Lane 24/01/08   36.   Apattern of Failure 16:37  |  Anas 24/01/08   37.   #9: wrong. Palestinians created situation in Gaza, not Israel 16:50  |  Richard S 24/01/08   38.   Goodby inhuman creatures 16:56  |  any human 24/01/08   39.   to # 12 16:58  |  abdul nasser 24/01/08   40.   #8 Fred the Magnet Man 17:04  |  Softwalker 24/01/08   41.   Palestinian Brit - peaceful solution offered by Hamas breakout 17:12  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   42.   Gaza back to Egypt 17:16  |  Michael 24/01/08   43.   Clickfool 18 17:28  |  Sabra 24/01/08   44.   Abdul -Yom Kippur War 17:32  |  Strangelove 24/01/08   45.   Durson 27 17:33  |  Sabra 24/01/08   46.   #6 LInthwaite - you really are blind 17:33  |  * BEN JABO 24/01/08   47.   Too late 17:34  |  Gili 24/01/08   48.   Abdul Nasser 31 17:34  |  Sabra 24/01/08   49.   #31 Abdul Nasser (LOL) 17:38  |  * BEN JABO 24/01/08   50.   #7 17:41  |  B 24/01/08   51.   Egypte should give electricity and open borders 17:45  |  Mehdi 24/01/08   52.   How Wonderful 17:49  |  Yessir Ibn Badkarma 24/01/08   53.   Strangelove - wishful thinking on your part 17:53  |  Palestinian Brit 24/01/08   54.   Abdul Nasr "Kick in the Ass" 17:55  |  Golani 24/01/08   55.   Excellent News for Israel 17:56  |  Alan 24/01/08   56.   #8 Fred the magent man. 18:03  |  Golani 24/01/08   57.   ONLY GAZANS DECIDE HOW TO RUN BORDER 18:07  |  Ahmed 24/01/08   58.   Israel waiving responsibility for gaza. 18:07  |  David Nigel Braham 24/01/08   59.   Purchaseof goods 18:11  |  Edifice 24/01/08   60.   In a rational world, Egypt would annex the Gaza Strip,... 18:18  |  Josh 24/01/08   61.   to # 45 ben jabo don`t be ignorant 18:29  |  abdul nacer 24/01/08   62.   Egypt only wants tunnels for weapons 18:37  |  B 24/01/08   63.   WHERE IS TONY BLIER WHEN PEOPLE NEEDS HIM? (LOL) 18:40  |  indrajaya 24/01/08   64.   Edifice....money is no use if there is nothing to buy. 18:48  |  Palestinian Brit 24/01/08   65.   #61 Abdul Nasser is Now Abdul Nacer 19:16  |  * BEN JABO 24/01/08   66.   Egypt rejects idea of Isral waiving responsibility for Gaza 19:19  |  jn 24/01/08   67.   #64 Palestinian Brit 19:19  |  * BEN JABO 24/01/08   68.   Palestinian Brit 19:43  |  Edifice 24/01/08   69.   To Palestinian from Gaza #17 - History???? 20:08  |  B`Galil 24/01/08   70.   The Answer to All Questions and Comments 20:13  |  Duke 24/01/08   71.   PALESTINIANS NEED EGYPT AND JORDAN 20:18  |  B`Galil 24/01/08   72.   Gaza 20:18  |  Paul 24/01/08   73.   to palestinian Brit 20:23  |  real vision 24/01/08   74.   REALITY STRIKES. They do not want Pal Moslem brotherhood 20:34  |  PETER SM 24/01/08   75.   RESPOND #8 20:46  |  TOBIA 24/01/08   76.   SEcurity SEcurity 20:51  |  TOBIA 24/01/08   77.   Egypt can`t reject it...it is happening on its own 20:55  |  Jon 24/01/08   78.   TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GAZA, ARREST TERRORISTS, LET GAZANS RUN)) 20:58  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 24/01/08   79.   Sounds like the terrorists are getting worried!! 21:03  |  Voice of Reason 24/01/08   80.   to # 70 Tobia, yes they are welcomed 21:09  |  Zaki 24/01/08   81.   Is Isreal stupid? 21:18  |  B.A. 24/01/08   82.   to #70 Tobia, yes they are welcomed 21:23  |  Zaki 24/01/08   83.   There is no dboubt, this is the time to start implementing the 21:34  |  Lior 24/01/08   84.   56 well said golani 21:36  |  mark 24/01/08   85.   Palestinian or Philistine? Reply to No 17 21:56  |  Careful Reader 24/01/08   86.   Gaza is part of Egypt now 22:02  |  so long, Gaza 24/01/08   87.   #17 Palestinian from Gaza - Who told you that Bubba Mysa? 22:28  |  * BEN JABO 24/01/08   88.   Give dump to Egypt 22:34  |  Anon 24/01/08   89.   So let me get this streight. . . 22:58  |  Yosef ben Shalom 24/01/08   90.   jerusalem 23:05  |  elias 24/01/08   91.   Egyptian path to creating a Palestinian State. 23:25  |  Pablo B 24/01/08   92.   Ahmed ....good luck with the first statement 23:29  |  Lynn 24/01/08   93.   No backsies, Dude! 23:31  |  Tom 24/01/08   94.   Egyptian Arabs, AGAIN, to shirk RESPOSIBILITY!!! 01:35  |  akiva (zionist) 25/01/08   95.   to #70 Tobia, yes they are welcomed 01:37  |  Zaki 25/01/08   96.   Egypt needs to take control of Gaza 01:43  |  Zaki 25/01/08   97.   harold lane 1 02:00  |  realism 25/01/08   98.   reality for realism 02:35  |  Tom 25/01/08   99.   .Egypt wary of an open border with Pal Moslem Brotherhood. 04:33  |  MELBOURNE 25/01/08   100.   #83 Can`t be done, Lior 08:07  |  Johnboy 25/01/08   101.   to #100 johnboy, I agree with you, but 18:16  |  Zaki 25/01/08

Today Online Hamas vows to keep Gaza border breaches open Responses: 183 Militants who raided yeshiva were recently released criminals Responses: 166 Editorial: The siege of Gaza has failed Responses: 78 Daniel Orenstein: Stop bribing people to move to Israel Responses: 17 Richard Silverstein: Seeking liberal Jewish bloggers Responses: 37 Rosner's Domain McCain using support for Israel to court Jews - and Christians Ambassador vs. Ambassador: Is Obama good for Israel? Huckabee: WMD from Iraq is in Jordan (WTR) Poll: How important is Israel in the 2008 election? Factor: Clinton and McCain, head to head More Headlines 17:44 Hamas vows to keep Gaza border breaches open until crossings reopened 15:10 Palestinians who raided yeshiva were recently released criminals 17:34 McCain is using support for Israel to court Jews - and Christians 17:14 German Parliament head: It's shaming Jewish groups still need police protection 15:35 Israel: UN humanitarian official ignoring rocket fire on Negev 15:37 Blast in Christian neighborhood of Beirut kills at least four 17:18 Palestinians: IDF troops kill stone-throwing teenager near Hebron 07:32 Barak: Israel considering letting PA handle Gaza crossings 07:47 Hackers steal Bank Leumi client passwords 07:45 Surgeons convicted in stomach-stapling death of woman Previous Editions Select Day 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan 17 jan 16 jan 15 jan 14 jan 13 jan 11 jan

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