Palestinian journalist, Najida Belbaisi, describes the worst experience of her life,  being stuck on the Egyptian side of Rafah Terminal 

Date: 10 / 07 / 2007 Time: 16:13

Gaza - Ma'an - 

A Palestinian journalist, who is amongst the thousands of Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of Rafah Crossing, has described her ordeal there as "the worst experience" of her life.

In conversation with Ma'an, Najida Belbaisi, a journalist for Al Quds newspaper, berated all decision-makers for failing to re-open the crossing, asking, "Isn’t it enough that we are [stuck] between the sky and the land for more than one month?"

"Hundreds of children are screaming because of the heat and the hunger, and hundreds of sick people are suffering pain," she said. "Are the decision makers waiting for all the people here to die so the crossing will be reopened?"

Ms. Belbaisi told Ma'an that the Palestinians on the Egyptian side of the border are running out of funds and are close to despair.

"None of them has a loaf of bread," Ms. Belbaisi said. "We can't sleep; we are living on the hope that the crossing will be reopened; the people here are trying to return to Cairo as life there is cheaper and when they hear that the crossing will be reopened, they return to find it closed; they are suffering in every way," she complained.

"We are between the hammer of Hamas and the anvil of the presidency, and stuck between Israel and Egypt."

There is still no change in Rafah Crossing's closed status. Ten days ago, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Ma'an that his movement was doing its best to reopen the crossing but it remains closed.

The emergency government in Ramallah also sent three of its ministers to the Egyptian side of the crossing yesterday in order to check out the conditions there, but nothing has changed.

Humanitarian and human rights organizations have expressed deep concern at the conditions at the closed crossing.

According to some reports, 28 Palestinians, stuck on the Egyptian side of the border, have died since the crossing was closed in mid-June. After negotiations and delays, their bodies were allowed into Gaza through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing.

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