GAZA CITY: Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinians were trapped behind closed borders again Monday, ending 12 days of freedom, after Egyptian forces sealed the last of the breaks in the Gaza-Egypt barrier broken down by Hamas.
With metal spikes and barbed wire put in place Sunday, attention turned to how the border crossing would be run, and it appeared unlikely that the Islamic Hamas rulers of Gaza would get what they want – a role for them but none for Israel.
Egypt warned Hamas against trying to open the border by force again, as it did on Jan. 23.
“Egypt is a respected state. Its border cannot be breached and its soldiers should not be lobbed with stones, said Suleiman Awwad, spokesman for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Even after the closure, Egyptians and Gazans who found themselves on the wrong side of the border were allowed across. Among those returning from Egypt on Monday were Gazans who had hoped to use Egypt as a transit point for other countries, but were denied transit visas by Egypt.
Some claimed they were randomly denied passage.
Munzer Masri, 26, said he had hoped to travel to Dubai for a knee operation, accompanied by his mother and sister, but was sent back to Gaza even though his visa for Dubai is valid until Feb. 28. His mother and sister were told to continue on to Dubai, even though their only purpose had been to accompany him during the treatment. “They [the Egyptian authorities] wouldn’t even let them come back with me to Gaza, Masri said.
Egyptian security officials said the names of all transit passengers had been checked, and that some were sent back to Gaza after raising suspicion. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Hundreds of Gazans waiting for their visas in the border town of Al-Arish did receive their transit stamps, travelers said.
The border breach had temporarily relieved a seven-month blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized Gaza by force in June.
The opening briefly boosted the popularity of Hamas, as hundreds of thousands of blockade-weary Gazans rushed to Egypt’s border region, stocking up on supplies from dishwashing liquid to yeast, cigarettes, mattresses and cement. The resealing of the border Sunday, with Hamas’ cooperation, abruptly ended the Gazans’ relief.
“We’re back to the same siege and the same problems, said Alaa Al-Astal, 33, a security guard at a Gaza university.
Israeli security officials said dozens of Palestinian militants who were trained in Iran, along with rockets and other weapons, crossed into Gaza from Egypt in the last few days.
Shin-Bet security chief Yuval Diskin told Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday that “long-range rockets, anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles were brought into Gaza, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.
Hamas, meanwhile, appeared to be running out of options for keeping the border open, as it pledged.
Another breach appears unlikely because Hamas cannot afford to alienate Egypt, its main conduit to the Arab world. If Hamas used force against Egyptian forces at the border now, it would be seen as a major provocation.
Yet a negotiated border deal also seems unlikely.
The international community is siding with Hamas’ rival, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who demands a return to a US-backed 2005 border arrangement.
That would post EU monitors on the Palestinian side of the border, with Israel watching from a distance and given a final say over whether the border should open. Hamas wants Israel kept out of any border deal.
Zahar, who led a Hamas delegation to Cairo over the weekend, acknowledged disagreements with the Egyptians. Zahar suggested Egypt was being pressured by the international community not to make a deal with Hamas.
“The border closed, and there are big issues between us and Egypt, Zahar told Hamas’ Al Aqsa TV. The border with Egypt “is the only lung we can breathe through. -AP reporters Diaa Hadid and Salah Nasrawi contributed to this report from Gaza City and Cairo.
