Egypt Says Siege Failure, Opens Rafah Gate Indefinitely

Published today (updated) 07/06/2010 18:38

Gaza - Ma'an -

An Egyptian security official declared the blockade on Gaza a failure and announced Egypt's border gate with Gaza indefinitely open, the Associated Press reported on Monday, as Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad said he would "stand by every decision" Turkey made to lift the siege.

Egypt opened its crossing with Gaza shortly after a deadly Israeli attack on an aid fleet en route to the coastal enclave, which left at least nine activists dead.

Palestinian officials called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to open the sole border indefinitely, as Gaza residents remained stranded on either side of the terminal, awaiting Cairo's green light to travel.

Cairo's decision comes after US Vice President Joe Biden met with Mubarak in Sharm Al-Shaikh to discuss ways to partially lift the blockade, as humanitarian groups in Gaza point to increased food insecurity, the destruction of the fishing and farming industry as a result of the siege, and the un-repaired damage caused to homes and vital infrastructure by Israel nearly 16 months ago.

Palestinian crossing liaison chief Salam Barakah told Ma'an that both sides were coordinating to ensure the Rafah crossing remained open "until further notice," as Gaza residents stranded on either side transit for seventh consecutive day.

Israel imposed a blockade on the coastal enclave shortly after Hamas' takeover in 2007, which saw Egypt further restrict Palestinian movement, operating the Rafah crossing on an ad hoc basis, largely under US pressure as brief openings saw floods of Gaza residents breach the border in search of basic needs in winter 2008.

The acknowledgment of the siege's failure follows global condemnation of Israel's flotilla attack, with governments calling on Israel to end its blockade.

Turkey's premier, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that his government was prepared to supply the Gaza Strip with "everything it needs," on Monday as he met with Assad in Istanbul, Israeli media reported.

"Palestine and Gaza are a giant prison and this situation cannot continue," Erdogan told reporters during a joint news conference. "We can no longer remain silent and we will not be silent anymore regarding anything having to do with Gaza," the premier was quoted as saying by Israeli daily Haaretz.

Assad said Syria would “support every decision and every step that Turkey requests in order to break the blockade, including support of an international inquiry,” referring to Israel’s rejection of an international probe into the flotilla attack, proposed by the UN.

"We are not just people who talks and issue declarations of condemnation. We are in favor of actions, and we declare that we will," Assad said.

Egypt to allow medical, food aid into Gaza

Published today 21:04 Al-Arish – Ma'an –

 Egyptian authorities prepared for the entry of food aid into Gaza through the former Auja commercial crossing on Monday, which includes 265 tons of biscuits for the World Food Program, a Palestinian Authority official said.

The official, Omar Hadhud, said Egyptian authorities will allow the aid through the crossing that was formerly used to transfer goods between Egypt and Israel.

Egypt further permitted three ambulances geared for heart patients into Gaza on Sunday, donated by the Federation of Arab Doctors, as well as 10 tons of medicine from the Ansar Al-Sunnah Society through the recently re-opened Rafah crossing, the official added.

The Arab Doctors Union is also preparing to deliver 100 tons of meat and 1,000 tons of food aid into Gaza over the next week, as aid convoys are expected from Arab and international donors throughout the same period.

The increase in aid permitted into the Gaza Strip follows comments made by an Egyptian official describing the blockade as a "failure," announcing the indefinite opening of the Rafah crossing.

The opening follows increased demands by Arab and world governments to ensure Israel brings a total end to the siege imposed on Gaza, following the death of at least nine activists on board an aid vessel destined for Gaza that was attacked in international waters by Israeli forces.

But limited to 500 per day, continue to travel through Rafah

Published today (updated) 07/06/2010 17:59

Gaza – Ma'an –

The de facto government border crossings administration announced Sunday that some 439 Palestinians exited Gaza for Egypt, and 151 returned to the area via Rafah crossing as the terminal remains open for people and limited goods.

According to the committee, the majority of Palestinians returning to the coastal enclave were patients having completed treatment, as well as others who had been stranded in Egypt when the crossing closed.

Although it is open for passage, Egyptian security and document checks remain strict, with 165 Gaza residents barred from passage.

Only those with valid student visas, medical treatment permits, residency status in foreign countries, and international passports have been able to pass through the crossing.

The northern pedestrian crossing at Gaza's border with Israel opened sporadically during the week, with the crossings committee saying on Sunday that 197 individuals were permitted out of Gaza, among them 147 residents, nine foreign nationals and 42 Palestinians with Israeli citizenship.

Entering Gaza through the northern crossing were 156 individuals, of which 72 were residents, eight were foreign nationals and 76 were Palestinians with Israeli citizenship.

Steel wall between Egypt and Gaza to be completed by the end of summer 2010

[ 07/06/2010 - 06:27 PM ]

CAIRO, (PIC)--

An Egyptian security official said on Monday that Egypt will complete the construction of the steel wall rooted underground between Egypt and the Gaza Strip by the end of this summer, causing greater restrictions on Palestinians trapped for the fourth consecutive year, confirming that they will close up every last tunnel.

Egyptian authorities began building the barrier last year with the declared aim of preventing smuggling of "narcotics" while in fact it was preventing goods and basic human needs from entering the Gaza Strip through a network of underground tunnels.

The blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip was the major topic on the agenda of discussions between U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh.   Biden said in a statement after the meeting that the United States will consult with Egypt and its other collaborators on new ways to deal with the humanitarian, economic, political, and security situation in Gaza.

The Egyptian official, who requested anonymity, was asked by reporters about the date of completion for the construction of the wall between Gaza and Egypt.  He replied, "We hope that it will be complete by the end of the summer," pointing out that Egypt had "opened the Rafah crossing and will not close it up as long as there is no trespassing" from the Palestinian side.