Gateways to Gaza closed for the time being

[mawilson 2,133]

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - Hundreds of Palestinians were waiting at the Erez Crossing

on Monday, hoping to be able to cross the border into Israel on their way to the West Bank.

They are not likely to succeed.

International aid agencies, meanwhile, were scrambling for a way to re-open border

crossings to get goods into the sealed-off Gaza Strip.

All the crossings into and out of Gaza have been closed for the last few days, following the

violent and speedy Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip last week.

According to a very detailed agreement, the Fatah-controlled Presidential Guard loyal to

P.A. Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been in charge of the crossings on the Palestinian side.

But when Hamas began to win the battle for the Gaza Strip last week, the Presidential Guard

abandoned the crossings. Now there are hooded Hamas gunmen on the other side, said

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

Israel has no interest in seeing the situation deteriorate, he said. Israel is still examining

the new reality on the borders and is seeking a way to keep goods moving to the Gaza Strip,

Regev added.

Shlomo Dror, a spokesman for the coordinator of Israeli government activities in the Palestinian

territories, said there is currently no one to work with on the Palestinian side. The men who

used to do the job are not answering their phones, he said.

Nevertheless, electricity and water supplied by Israel are still flowing into the Gaza Strip and

fuel deliveries were completely restored on Monday, said Dror.

According to Dror, there were some 300 Palestinians waiting to cross into Israel at the Erez

Crossing on Monday. Israel informed them that they will not be able to cross, he said. Israel

is concerned about a potential crush of people trying to flee the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA),

which handles matters dealing with Palestinian refugees, said the Gaza Strip was already

facing a dire situation before the events of last week.

UNRWA, which provides food for about 800,000 of the 1.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,

has food in its storehouses for about two more weeks, said Gunness. Although there is enough

food for now, they don't want to run out, he said by telephone.

Usually when there is a border crisis, he said, the Palestinians blame the Israelis, but this time

it's clearly because there are no Palestinians on the other side, he said.

The Rafah border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt also was closed on Monday and in the

hands of Hamas.

The Foreign Press Association said it is working with authorities to move journalists into the

Gaza Strip, the FPA said in a statement on Monday.

There are very few foreign reporters inside the Gaza Strip. Most have fled the violence and the

threat of abduction.

Source

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Look for Gaza Strip to become a urban-crowded version of Darfur--only with both perpetrator and victim being Arab (as opposed to Muslim African victims in Darfur).

[mawilson 2,133]

Look for Gaza Strip to become a urban-crowded version of Darfur--only with both perpetrator and victim being Arab (as opposed to Muslim African victims in Darfur).

For their sake, I hope not. I don't think Israel will allow the situation to deteriorate

into a full-blown humanitarian crisis or an all-out civil war.

[mawilson 2,133]

Shooting at Israel-Gaza Crossing, 1 Dead

The Associated Press

Monday, June 18, 2007; 1:30 PM

JERUSALEM -- Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen exchanged fire Monday at the Erez

crossing between Israel and Gaza, killing one Palestinian and wounding at least 10, the

Israeli rescue service and Palestinian hospital officials said.

The Israeli military said Palestinians opened fire on Israeli forces, who returned the fire.

The military said it was not known if the wounded were hit by Israeli of Palestinian fire.

Israel TV said there were no Israeli casualties.

Abu Mujahid, spokesman for the militant Popular Resistance Committees, said two of the

group's gunmen fired at Israeli soldiers, and the Israelis fired back at civilians.

Palestinian ambulance drivers said the exchange of fire was between the Hamas militia

and Israeli soldiers at the crossing. The Hamas force said it had no gunmen in the area.

Since the Islamic Hamas took over Gaza, the Erez crossing has been crowded with Gazans

trying to flee. Israel has let only a few through.

Source

[Ban Hammer 13,643]

Look for Gaza Strip to become a urban-crowded version of Darfur--only with both perpetrator and victim being Arab (as opposed to Muslim African victims in Darfur).

For their sake, I hope not. I don't think Israel will allow the situation to deteriorate

into a full-blown humanitarian crisis or an all-out civil war.

why not? it's not their problem and even if they did, they'd be blamed somehow for what's going on there. best to stay out of it.

[mawilson 2,133]

why not? it's not their problem and even if they did, they'd be blamed somehow for what's going on there. best to stay out of it.

A full-scale humanitarian disaster unfolding on their doorstep would become their problem.

They'd be blamed either way -- whether they intervene or not.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

why not? it's not their problem and even if they did, they'd be blamed somehow for what's going on there. best to stay out of it.

A full-scale humanitarian disaster unfolding on their doorstep would become their problem.

They'd be blamed either way -- whether they intervene or not.

Israel isn't the only nation that would have an interest in stopping something like that. Egypt, too.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

For their sake, I hope not. I don't think Israel will allow the situation to deteriorate into a full-blown humanitarian crisis or an all-out civil war.

With Gaza Strips small geography (360 km² area, 1.44 million population) and Hamas' Taliban-like mentality, it could easily spiral that far in one week.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Come to think of it, didn't they just have their civil war? And didn't Hamas already win?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Come to think of it, didn't they just have their civil war? And didn't Hamas already win?

You forgot that there is a second front possible (West Bank) where Fatah is already in process of going after Hamas.

Plus, you remember how "civil" the Taliban was to civilian populations in areas taken from Najibullah and Northern Alliance?

Edited June 18, 2007 by CherryXS

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I find it interesting how many Palestinians seem to fear their own more than the enemy.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Come to think of it, didn't they just have their civil war? And didn't Hamas already win?

You forgot that there is a second front possible (West Bank) where Fatah is already in process of going after Hamas.

Plus, you remember how "civil" the Taliban was to civilian populations in areas taken from Najibullah and Northern Alliance?

As I read it the security situation in the West Bank isn't the same as in Gaza City - in that the Israeli military has a strong presence there. If the conflict spills over there - its likely that the Israelis would be pulled in as well, unless of course they chose to abandon their positions.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I find it interesting how many Palestinians seem to fear their own more than the enemy.

Israel vs Hamas? Unless you the thought of shooting a bullet through a woman's head in a stadium turns you on, the choice is clear.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I find it interesting how many Palestinians seem to fear their own more than the enemy.

Not even a new situation; it was the case that in territories which were conceded to Arafat, his security/extortion goons made many pray (when they heard knocks on their door) that it would be Israeli soldiers.

[mawilson 2,133]

I find it interesting how many Palestinians seem to fear their own more than the enemy.

Israel’s deputy defense minister, Ephraim Sneh, told Israel Radio that those whose lives

were deemed in danger would be taken out through Israel. But he added, about the others,

“No one knows for sure who these people are. We can assume they are people who don’t

want to be in Gaza. Pretty soon there will be 1.5 million people who don’t want to be in Gaza.”