|
Rafah: Egypt on Friday sought to seal its border with Gaza, using electric batons to herd Palestinians back into the territory in a bid to stem a three-day uncontrolled flood of people.
But despite a looming Egyptian deadline for resealing the frontier, Gazan fighters ploughed a new breach in the border wall, allowing dozens to cross over as Egyptian police stood by.
Police had earlier blocked Gazans from crossing over into Egypt through the largest of the breaches which militants blew in the border wall on Tuesday night in the divided frontier town of Rafah.
Egyptian security forces used electric batons to push back those trying to get into Egypt and to corral others back into the Gaza Strip, witnesses said, as Egyptian armoured vehicles arrived with coils of barbed wire in readiness to reseal numerous minor border breaches.
Egyptian security forces also barred trucks of goods carrying everything from blankets to motorbikes from crossing the Suez Canal on their way from Cairo to replenish Rafah's depleted stocks. "I only spent an hour there because the Egyptians told us that the frontier would be closed," said Um Nidal as she returned to Gaza after visiting her son in Al Arish who she had not seen for years.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier called on Egypt to control its border as Israel defended its week-old Gaza lockdown. "I understand it is a difficult situation for them [Egypt]," Rice said after arriving in Colombia for meetings.
"But it is an international border, it needs to be protected and I believe that the Egyptians understand the importance of doing that." The UN said at least 700,000 Gazans have poured into Egypt since the border was blasted open.
|
