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Treasa Ni Cheannabhain, 56, left, an Irish citizen, and her daughter Naisrin el-Safty, right, wait to cross back into Egypt on Wednesday.
Last update - 21:28 06/02/2008
Irish woman, daughter stuck in Gaza after Egypt seals border
By The Associated Press
Tags: Egypt, Ireland, Rafah 

An Irish woman and her daughter who sneaked into Gaza across a breached border were stuck in the territory Wednesday, unable to cross back into Egypt.

The pair had distributed $11,270 among needy Gazans and wanted to return to Egypt late Tuesday, but they were stopped by Egyptian border guards.

Treasa Ni Cheannabhain, 56, said she entered Gaza on Saturday, more than a week after Hamas militants knocked down the border wall separating Gaza and Egypt. As hundreds of thousands of Palestinians flooded into Egypt, Cheannabhain used the opportunity to sneak into Gaza with her 19-year-old daughter to distribute money to Gazans.
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Cheannabhain is married to an Egyptian physician, and her daughter, Naisrin el-Safty, is an Egyptian national, she said. "I admitted I entered illegally, but we want to come back in legally," Cheannabhain said in a telephone interview from the Gazan border town of Rafah.

Egyptian guards had resealed the border Sunday, ending a 12-day breach. Cheannabhain said she had not hear of warnings that the crossing would close.

Ireland's Foreign Ministry is trying to help, a spokesman said, but added that only Egypt can authorize the pair's return. "The Egyptian authorities apparently are refusing to let her cross back over to Egypt," said the spokesman on customary condition of anonymity.


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      1.   Doh! 19:12  |  Hannah 06/02/08
      2.   typical 19:19  |  Isis 06/02/08
      3.   The Onion 19:22  |  Ethan 06/02/08
      4.   I admit to crossing illegally... 19:35  |  Daniel 06/02/08
      5.   Nice Irish ladies 19:43  |  Mike 06/02/08
      6.   That`s life 19:43  |  Edward H 06/02/08
      7.   $11,270?? 19:45  |  vik 06/02/08
      8.   Irish wonman in Gaza 19:51  |  Garry 06/02/08
      9.   Put them to work in a Qassam factory 20:09  |  Mark 06/02/08
      10.   Irish Woman 20:40  |  Abd 06/02/08
      11.   Alls I can say is.. 21:03  |  Shloimele 06/02/08
      12.   Serves them right 21:07  |  Mark Lincoln 06/02/08
      13.   she thought gaza is like belfast! 21:08  |  TONY 06/02/08
      14.   On the Hamas PR tour 21:11  |  William 06/02/08
      15.   ABD, the Irish view is pro Palis not humanitarian and the Irish 21:20  |  Steve-NYC 06/02/08
      16.   Irish Women 21:24  |  Marc 06/02/08
      17.   Aiding terrorists 21:29  |  Avram 06/02/08
      18.   Proud to be Irish. 21:29  |  Milo 06/02/08
      19.   Irish Women stuck in Gaz 21:44  |  Graham Davies 06/02/08
      20.   Milo I guess the Irish also associate with the suicide bombers 21:47  |  Steve-NYC 06/02/08
      21.   Irish 21:56  |  oded 06/02/08
      22.   Put this Irish Lady in Sederot 22:01  |  Ralph Levy 06/02/08
      23.   Irresponsible 22:02  |  Joseph 06/02/08
      24.   #18 Proud to be Irish 22:03  |  Ralph Levy 06/02/08
      25.   THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL 22:13  |  A Jew 06/02/08
      26.   #18 OPPRESSED? 22:21  |  JEHIEL CHALEFF 06/02/08
      27.   #18 MILO oPPRESSED? 22:24  |  JEHIEL CHALEFF 06/02/08
      28.   $11,270?? #7 22:26  |  JEHIEL CHALEFF 06/02/08
      29.   Luck o` the Irish? 22:50  |  Sharon 06/02/08
      30.   Naisrin looks Sexy 22:52  |  Simon 06/02/08
      31.   # 12 Mark Lincoln..... We often disagree. but 22:59  |  Lynn 06/02/08
      32.   # 10 Abd ....yes 23:06  |  Lynn 06/02/08
      33.   #25 Simon 23:08  |  Ibn Musa 06/02/08
      34.   Girl wearing that hood looks like she is Amish 23:09  |  * BEN JABO 06/02/08
      35.   To all those proud to be Irish! 23:11  |  Avram 06/02/08
      36.   # 2 Isis .....Israel should help 23:17  |  Lynn 06/02/08
      37.   Determination of Irish women. 23:29  |  Maureen Ann 06/02/08
      38.   The Excuse of Humanitarianism Stinks, The Report Smells Too Fishy 23:49  |  Joseph . E 06/02/08
      39.   I love runing into war zones with loaded pockets too! 00:00  |  Mattai 07/02/08
      40.   Irish ladies in waiting, or Hamas agents.? 00:09  |  Stephen. 07/02/08
      41.   They will be back home in Ireland or Egypt soon enough... 00:11  |  anti-racist 07/02/08
      42.   Kettle calling the pot black 00:12  |  Milo 07/02/08
      43.   So, who really cares? 00:26  |  Nechama 07/02/08
      44.   HUNDREDS SALUTES TO BOTH WOMEN. SHAME ON EGYPT GOVERNEMNT 00:27  |  JACKAL 07/02/08
      45.   #37 Maureen Ann- At least they put themselves in the forefront 00:30  |  * BEN JABO 07/02/08
      46.   Re 30: YOUR MOTHER ALSO LOOKS SEXY. 00:30  |  JACKAL 07/02/08
      47.   #18 00:42  |  Moshe 07/02/08
      48.   sneaked into Gaza,..."DOH!" 00:53  |  akiva (zionist) 07/02/08
      49.   What a wonderful woman, and uplifting story. 00:59  |  David King 07/02/08
      50.   Labhrass, go save your wife !! Bejaysus what a pickle! 01:03  |  Free Gilad Shalit 07/02/08
      51.   Graham 01:21  |  k 07/02/08
      52.   Targeted assasination target 01:31  |  Michael 07/02/08
      53.   To the irish-egyptian ladies 01:32  |  Theodor 07/02/08
      54.   MILO GET FACTS AND THEN POST 01:42  |  TOBIA 07/02/08
      55.   Irish women 01:56  |  Cyasher 07/02/08
      56.   N0.12 Mark Lincoln 02:20  |  a wandering Jew 07/02/08
      57.   They so wanted to bring their new skills back to the IRA 02:42  |  Efox 07/02/08
      58.   I`m Irish 03:23  |  Tony 07/02/08
      59.   I want to see Naisrin`s face closer, She is HOT Baby! 04:00  |  Ehud 07/02/08
      60.   That`s what they got! Hamass would love them 04:45  |  Cristo 07/02/08
      61.   JACKAL MRS BHUTTO DEAD.SHAME ON PAKISTANI LUNATIC 04:50  |  PETER SM 07/02/08
      62.   so what auh 05:19  |  ralph 07/02/08
      63.   woman and daughter 05:59  |  colin 07/02/08
      64.   when you lay down..... 06:08  |  leo 07/02/08
      65.   Good woman 06:10  |  Colin Wright 07/02/08
      66.   JACKAL WORRY about who may BLOW UP your mother & sister.! 08:14  |  PETER SM 07/02/08
      67.   Milo 08:43  |  Connie 07/02/08
      68.   Mike 08:58  |  Connie 07/02/08
      69.   #18, Milo: You are Not Irish 10:18  |  nacl 07/02/08
      70.   # 2 hey isis? 10:19  |  eric 07/02/08
      71.   Israel was right in sealing its border with Gaza 10:47  |  Rick and TC 07/02/08
      72.   Maureen Anne 10:57  |  Zelkha 07/02/08
      73.   I`m Irish