Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., February 04, 2008 Shvat 28, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:52 (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

Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal (AP) Last update - 16:53 31/01/2008 Egypt blocks Gaza cars from Sinai, pedestrians still entering By The Associated Press Tags: Fatah, Khaled Meshal, Hamas  Egyptian border guards moved Thursday to prevent all car traffic from entering the country from the Gaza Strip, but still allowed hundreds of Palestinians in on foot. The development reflected Egypt's intentions to contain the influx from the breached boundary, but worries grew among the Gazans that the Egyptians could soon completely seal the border. On the wind-swept no man's land in the divided town of Rafah, Egyptian guards used sticks to beat the trunk of a white pickup with empty cooking gas canisters that tried to drive it into Egypt. The truck's Palestinian driver Hazem Abou Shanab spread his hands in dismay. Advertisement "I only wanted to go fill up my canisters, I don't want to go back to Gaza without gas," Shanab said, but the guards wouldn't let him through. Sporadic gunshots were heard coming from inside Gaza but it was not immediately clear who was shooting in the Hamas-controlled coastal strip. A young bearded man, likely from Hamas' security, in a raincoat and with an AK-47 slung over his shoulder, said the militia was told Wednesday night not to let Palestinians into Egypt anymore. The Egyptians meanwhile, were allowing vehicles with Egyptian car-plates back from Gaza. Since Hamas blew up the border wall over a week ago setting off the flood of Gazans eager to stock up on supplies and necessities here, Egyptian traders had also driven into the strip to sell their merchandize there. But Gazans were increasingly concerned the shopping bonanza would soon be over and the border resealed. "What is happening," a veiled Palestinian woman, Salima, in mid-50s, asked the Egyptian guards. They ignored her but one slightly nodded. "When are you going to close the border?" she asked. Heavy rain battered the area earlier Thursday. A Palestinian man stood near a power pole, pointing to a dead goat that had been electrocuted next to it, and warning people not to touch it. Egypt has worked hard to keep Palestinians bottled up near the border since hundreds of thousands poured across after last week's breach. The Palestinians are continuously stopped at checkpoints, and most make it no farther than the divided Rafah or El-Arish, about 60 kilometers away. But some Palestinians, and perhaps also some weapons from Gaza, have made to other parts of Egypt, including Cairo. This stepped up Egyptian concerns that Gazans, if not contained in the border area, could become a problem for the rest of the country. Israel has warned its citizens against visiting the beach resorts of Sinai, the vast desert peninsula between the Gaza border and Cairo. In Cairo meanwhile, the Syria-based radical Hamas leader Khaled Meshal was expected to talk with Egyptian officials, about the border crisis Thursday. The militant group is seeking to return to the political stage and maintain its influence on the frontier, after it wrestled control of Gaza in clashes last June with their bitter rival, the Palestinian Fatah. But it was unclear what Hamas could achieve in the talks, after moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made it clear during a visit to Cairo Wednesday he will not be pressured into working with them. Abbas categorically refused to talk with Hamas until it recognizes the 2005 international border agreement and repudiated the summer coup that brought it to power in the strip. Related articles: Palestinian stabs Border Policeman in north Jerusalem attack Hamas, Egypt cooperate in resealing Gaza border; U.S. peace envoy arrives Officials: Israel won't let Gaza border breach threaten security Israel demands that Egypt restore order at Gaza-Egypt border Bookmark to del.icio.us   Negev attack Dimona suicide bombing kills one woman in first such attack in more than a year. A friend in Dalia Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik is secretly raising Knesset officials' salaries.   1.   Waiting 16:12  |  Jackie 31/01/08   2.   More than meets the eye..most unclear. 16:52  |  Stephen. 31/01/08   3.   Go Mishal,go! The quisling can be dealt with later! 19:01  |  lakshmi 31/01/08   4.   Paestinians locked up in Gaza 19:08  |  Dik 31/01/08   5.   #1 Say Jackie 22:37  |  ballistic 31/01/08   6.   Egyptians are fed up with Palis in only 1 week 22:55  |  Pharaoh 31/01/08   7.   Egypt now a traitor zionist state 23:47  |  David 31/01/08   8.   #7 David, why don`t you let the Palis into your house 00:25  |  Pharaoh 01/02/08   9.   1 week Pharoah? 00:42  |  MaryRose 01/02/08   10.   I laugh at Egypt yet again 01:26  |  Jon 01/02/08   11.   #5 Say Balistic 14:27  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/02/08   12.   say de klerk 17:05  |  Sabah 01/02/08   13.   #11 Adrian 18:02  |  ballistic 01/02/08   14.   Two Words: Cluster Bombs 20:45  |  Solon 01/02/08   15.   #11 Balistic ignorant on history 22:55  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/02/08   16.   #15 Adrian 22:36  |  ballistic 04/02/08

Today Online One dead in suicide bombing in southern city of Dimona Responses: 403 Bradley Burston: This is how Islam ends Responses: 136 Terror attack was matter of time after Gaza border breach Responses: 82 Sources: Hamas gives Israel letter from Gilad Shalit Responses: 47 Palestinian reporter, W. Bank rabbi give PM, Hamas draft truce Responses: 48 Rosner's Domain When Jewish identity is "locked into the holocaust" (WTR) Obama, Clinton and Iran: The vote that made the difference Poll: Do you trust Obama on Israel? The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one Not despite Iraq - because of Iraq More Headlines 20:08 PM vows 'relentless' war on terror in wake of Dimona suicide bombing 22:52 Hamas claims Dimona attack, says bombers came from Hebron 21:33 Report: Egypt reopens border after clashes with Gazans 21:39 Commotion in Knesset erupts as bereaved parents jeer PM 22:39 PM appoints panel to probe 2002 killing of Hamas chief Shehada 14:59 Vandals paint swastikas on Jewish graves in south Hungary 21:07 Lebanon to lodge UN complaint against Israel for border shooting 12:48 ANALYSIS: Terror attack was matter of time after Gaza border breach 18:09 Policeman: Terrorist reached for the bomb and I shot him 10:40 Iran TV: Tehran tests launcher for first homemade satellite 21:17 Palestinians: PRC leader killed, 2 hurt in IAF strike on north Gaza 22:10 Bedouin councilman elected to Misgav Regional Council for first time Previous Editions Select Day 03 feb 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan

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