Gazans make new border wall hole

BBC News Online ^ | 1/25/08 | BBC reporters

[tongue-tied]

Palestinians have used a bulldozer to make a new hole in the border wall between Gaza and Egypt, allowing scores of people to pass through. Eyewitnesses describe the situation as volatile, and say the frontier remains porous for kilometres at a stretch.

Earlier Egyptian security forces tried to block almost all illegal entry points, using water cannon and firing warning shots to drive back crowds.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, says it backs the decision to close the border.

Hundreds of thousands have surged into Egypt to buy supplies since militants first blew holes in the border on Wednesday.

Israel has demanded Egypt take action, as it is worried about arms smuggling.

[tongue-tied]

Palestinians have used a bulldozer to make a new hole in the border wall between Gaza and Egypt, allowing scores of people to pass through.

Eyewitnesses describe the situation as volatile, and say the frontier remains porous for kilometres at a stretch.

Earlier Egyptian security forces tried to block almost all illegal entry points, using water cannon and firing warning shots to drive back crowds.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, says it backs the decision to close the border.

Hundreds of thousands have surged into Egypt to buy supplies since militants first blew holes in the border on Wednesday.

Israel has demanded Egypt take action, as it is worried about arms smuggling.

The UN has estimated that as much as half of Gaza's 1.5 million population has crossed the border in defiance of the Israeli blockade imposed in retaliation for rocket attacks.

'Difficult' situation

After standing by and watching for two days, Egyptian security forces began to stop Palestinians from entering their country early on Friday morning, while at the same time allowing people back into Gaza.

[Slapshot68]

Egypt doesn’t Israel’s problem...no way. The Palestinians are the garbage of the Middle East. Arab nations say they support their plight, so long as they don’t have to deal with them.

[tongue-tied]

That seems to be their trouble. They don’t want them there, but they also don’t want to appear to the rest of the Arab world to be backing Israel. Right now they’re maiking feeble efforts to plug the newest holes in the wall.

[Mach5]

When they return to Gaza, they are going to be bringing weapons and ammo with them. They are pack mules and are preparing for another war with Israel.

[tongue-tied]

Actually, today they are bringing mules and carts right along with them. They are stocking up.

BBC now saying the Egyptians have stopped even trying to stop them, but will hold meetings soon. LOL Meetings...

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

It's hard to trust a snake ... even if it's your snake.

[chimera]

Was it Jordan who gave the Palis the boot back in the '70s? Now the Egyptians have to deal with them, which they're apparently none too happy about. This is the irony that seems lost on the rest of the world. The Palis' "brother Arabs" mouth support for them, but when it comes to giving them a "homeland" in their own territories, the Palis are about as welcome as a turd in a swimming pool.

If the Palis themselves were less stupid, they'd realize they're being played for suckers by their "brothers". They should clean up their act, cut a deal with the Israelis for peace and a homeland (i.e., forswear this "destruction of Israel" crap, which has brought them nothing but misery for decades), and go about building a nation and taking care of their own.

[yorkie01]

This would be an ideal time for Israel to ‘Rachael Corey’ them south through gaza and into egypt. Then close the border and reclaim previously occupied Israeli land.