Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., January 29, 2008 Shvat 22, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:56 (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

Egyptian police guarding the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday. (AP) Last update - 23:51 27/01/2008 Palestinians stream back to Gaza as Egypt chokes off supplies By News Agencies Tags: Egypt, Israel, Gaza Strip  Palestinians streamed home through the breaches in Gaza's border with Egypt on Sunday as Egyptian authorities choked off supplies to the area and moved to restore control. Meanwhile, Ahmed Youssef, a Hamas official whose statements are not always supported by the leadership, was quoted by the Palestinian Maan news agency warning that Gazans could next try to force open the main foot crossing into Israel, the Erez Terminal, continuing a "third Intifada", or uprising, that they had begun at Rafah. Egyptian forces moved to close their breached border with the Gaza Strip by stopping vehicle traffic Sunday and further tightening their security cordon around the small frontier town of Rafah in effort to contain Palestinians crossing freely into Egypt for the fifth day in a row. Advertisement Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Sunday Egypt would take steps to control its border with the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. A Foreign Ministry statement provided no further details. A Reuters reporter on the Egyptian side of the border town of Rafah saw hundreds of Palestinians leaving Egypt and only a handful of people crossing in from the Gaza Strip on Sunday. "We wanted to buy food. It was very difficult. We could not find anything," said 17-year-old Khalil Hamdan. "We won't come back because all the products are finished." Hundreds of trucks were held up at a bridge that leads from mainland Egypt to the Sinai peninsula and Gaza. Merchants in the border town of Rafah said they were struggling to get supplies of food and cigarettes. Fuel was also running short. Egyptian forces blocked one of the gaps carved into the border wall with piles of sand and border police carrying electric cattle prods at other openings stopped cars with Palestinian plates from entering Egypt and Egyptians cars from crossing into Gaza. Pedestrians, however, continued to move back and forth freely. Egyptian border guards were now authorized to return fire if attacked, said a security official speaking on customary condition of anonymity on the Egyptian side of Rafah. Over the past two days, 38 Egyptian security forces have been wounded - some seriously - after Palestinians hurled stones and shot at them at the border, according to Aboul Gheit. There was little left to buy in the muddy streets of the divided border town of Rafah, however, and a chill drizzle kept people huddled under the awnings of the handful of open stores. Gasoline vendors, however, were still filling jerry cans to be taken back to the fuel-starved Gaza Strip. "I can afford to get wet, but I can't afford to go hungry," said Gazan Adel Abdullah Moussa, dripping wet in the rain and carrying a yellow gas can in one hand and his year-old baby in the other. Outside Rafah, police tightened their cordon and increased their checkpoints to stop Palestinians from entering the rest of Egypt and in the nearby town of El-Arish, security forces approached Palestinians on the streets and ordered them home. Palestinians who had managed to sneak into El-Arish said that after a four-day purchasing spree, people would now no longer sell them anything or give them a place to stay the night, apparently under orders from security. Leaders in the region are scrabbling to decide what to do about last Wednesday's dramatic opening of the border between Egypt and Gaza and subsequent flood of Palestinians out of their besieged territory to buy food, fuel and consumer products. Arab foreign ministers are set to meet in Cairo Sunday to discuss the matter, while it will be the centerpiece of talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as well. Israel, meanwhile, has expressed growing concern about the possible influx of Palestinian militants into areas of Egypt that border Israel. The Israel Defense Forces announced Saturday that its troops were on heightened alert along the border with Egypt, and that an Israeli road and tourism sites in the area are temporarily closed. Abbas will meet Wednesday in Cairo with Mubarak to discuss the crisis on the Gaza-Egypt border, an aide for the Fatah-aligned Palestinian president said Saturday. Related articles: Abbas: No talks with Hamas despite Gaza border chaos Hamas takes control at frontier as 200,000 Gazans enter Egypt Egyptian forces renew effort to seal Gaza border Bookmark to del.icio.us   Pride of Shas Shas MK: Gays are causing Israeli society to self-destruct. In bad taste Local Jewish group protests 'Holocaust float' at Rio Carnival.   1.   Maybe it is Syria`s Fault!!! 12:46  |  MiddleStanian 27/01/08   2.   I can afford to get wet,but I can`t afford to go hungry,said the 13:15  |  lakshmi 27/01/08   3.   Egypt and the Arab refugees problem. 13:19  |  Harold Lane 27/01/08   4.   Egypt 14:05  |  Gary 27/01/08   5.   I can get to Gaza w/o passing a chosen checkpoint! 14:20  |  Assad-u-LLAH 27/01/08   6.   If they`re going to act like animals, treat them like animals 15:04  |  Conroy 27/01/08   7.   More than 200 million Euros was spent in Rafah.! 15:11  |  Stephen. 27/01/08   8.   Israel owes Egypt a great deal 15:12  |  Tim 27/01/08   9.   KEEP RAFAH OPEN 15:41  |  Avrum 27/01/08   10.   Laksmhi never misses an opp to exploit propaganda 15:43  |  uday 27/01/08   11.   # 5 Assad....... -- Good for you 16:46  |  17 27/01/08   12.   Conroy expect the worst 16:54  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 27/01/08   13.   LANKSHIMI 17:14  |  alan 27/01/08   14.   Friendly Egyptians 18:18  |  Mike 27/01/08   15.   To Lakshmi (#2): re "evil state" 19:04  |  Morris Valentine 27/01/08   16.   # 15 Morris Valentine.... 19:38  |  Lynn 27/01/08   17.   Poor Egypt 20:13  |  Fawzi 27/01/08   18.   #5 here we go again 20:20  |  begyourpardon 27/01/08   19.   Assad...hope you have a nice trip. 20:21  |  Lynn 27/01/08   20.   fawzi # 17 those "unwelcomed guest" are not welcome in any middle 20:45  |  terrornator 27/01/08   21.   #2 Lakshmi 21:22  |  Michael 27/01/08   22.   21. dear terrornator. it`s the money, 22:16  |  bozhidar balkas 27/01/08   23.   STONES DONT HURT 22:22  |  TOBIA 27/01/08   24.   Egypt`s awkward position 23:43  |  Mark Lincoln 27/01/08   25.   #21 Michael re Egypt and Gaza border 00:12  |  Labhras 28/01/08   26.   # 2 00:26  |  dave 28/01/08   27.   LET MARCH TO ERETZ NOW 00:43  |  indrajaya 28/01/08   28.   Stephen(Spain)Maybe the E200M was part of Societe General robbery 00:53  |  Alan 28/01/08   29.   Natural solution 00:59  |  Wazza of Oz 28/01/08   30.   Fawzi-Dont talk like that!Help your lovely Pal brothers 01:01  |  Alan 28/01/08   31.   Fawzi- Pals put more Egyptian soldiers in hospital than MusaDayan 01:03  |  Alan 28/01/08   32.   Gaza is Egypt 01:03  |  Al 28/01/08   33.   Mubarak will do nothing... 01:13  |  Maureen Ann 28/01/08   34.   Hundreds??? and that means they are returning? 01:26  |  Avi 28/01/08   35.   Hatred is the fuel of failure 01:28  |  George W. Bush 28/01/08   36.   WHY IS HE HOLDING BABY 01:29  |  TOBIA 28/01/08   37.   30 Pals with suicide belts caught in Upper Egypt 01:29  |  Lynn 28/01/08   38.   HOW ABOUT ARABS BEHAVING 01:33  |  TOBIA 28/01/08   39.   kudos to you #23 01:45  |  concerned person 28/01/08   40.   Margie of Tel Aviv....Sharif just told me 01:49  |  Lynn 28/01/08   41.   Laksmi no 2- WHAT WOULD YOU DO::: 01:53  |  Tina 28/01/08   42.   # 2 lakshmi...where is the baby`s mother? 01:56  |  Lynn 28/01/08   43.   # 1 Middlestanian..It is Syria 02:00  |  Lynn 28/01/08   44.   # 7 200 MIL EURO? I thougth Gazans are poor 02:07  |  welfare state shops 28/01/08   45.   Hamas official: Gazans to try to breach Erez crossing next; 02:11  |  NEIL GOLAN 28/01/08   46.   Egypt loves Gazans? 02:17  |  leo 28/01/08   47.   Israel: You must know... 02:22  |  Pharaoh 28/01/08   48.   # 17 Fawzi....my sympathies are with Egypt 02:25  |  Lynn 28/01/08   49.   # 23 TOBIA...according to Egyptian news, 02:28  |  Lynn 28/01/08   50.   Nobody really wants the PALS, 03:45  |  Doc Holliday 28/01/08   51.   Israel should re-occupy Gaza 04:25  |  Aiotal Brown 28/01/08   52.   LYNN 04:43  |  TOBIA 28/01/08   53.   Now Where is the Sympathy for Darfurians..... 05:31  |  Mary 28/01/08   54.   #41 NEIL GOLAN has the answer 07:03  |  Johnboy 28/01/08   55.   Gaza Crisis 08:31  |  Reid 28/01/08   56.   Margie 12 11:20  |  Guido 28/01/08   57.   Reid #55 11:42  |  Guido 28/01/08   58.   2 Sets of Rules 01:31  |  joe 30/01/08

Today Online Obama: Opponents trying to weaken my support among Jews Responses: 275 In final State of the Union, Bush calls for democratic Palestine Responses: 111 Abbas: Gaza border row shows Hamas disregard for Palestinian needs Responses: 98 Shas MK: Gays are causing Israeli society to self-destruct Responses: 42 Amir Oren: Hamas has made a mockery of Olmert, Barak Responses: 45 Rosner's Domain Obama, the first Jewish president (What To Read) Lieberman: Why McCain's the man for Israel-lovers New Guest: Diaspora Jews need to be heard on Jerusalem. Two days before the Florida primary, Rudy seeks solace in football McCain using support for Israel to court Jews - and Christians More Headlines 20:27 PM: South is at war and many Israelis don't feel it 23:54 Day before Lebanon report, it's business as usual at the PMO 22:54 European Jewish leader: World Jews should have say in Israeli politics 23:54 Peres urges world youth to fight anti-Semitism using Facebook 01:02 Hezbollah official threatens to kidnap additional IDF soldiers 01:08 UN envoy: Women in Gaza feel coerced to cover their heads 01:45 Olmert mulls putting up fence on border with Egypt 23:44 Libya rescinds bid for UN condemnation of Israeli blockade on Gaza 22:07 Air and sea ports suffer as stormy weather sweeps across Israel 20:18 Shas MK: Gays are causing Israeli society to self-destruct 21:22 Local Jewish group protests 'Holocaust float' at Rio Carnival 20:35 Despite few public events, Germany remembers Hitler's rise to power 20:50 T.A. mayor to PM: Help treat African refugees before crisis erupts