CAIRO: Despite Israeli warnings that there could be further bombing on the Egypt-Gaza border to destroy smuggling tunnels, people on the Egyptian side whose houses had been destroyed in the bombing remained near their damaged homes.
Democratic Front Party member Mohammed El Menei’ told Daily News Egypt from Rafah that people on the Egyptian side whose houses had been destroyed had erected tents near their homes and were attempting to rebuild them.
“People are living next to their homes and digging in the rubble to uncover their possessions, he said.
Five Egyptians were injured near the border during the 22-day Israeli offensive on Gaza when Israeli planes bombed the tunnels used for smuggling mainly essential goods but also weapons in the blockaded Gaza Strip. Homes on the Egyptian side close to the border were also destroyed in the shelling.
El Menei’ said that unmanned Israeli reconnaissance planes were still buzzing overhead in the area.
Journalist and activist Mustapha Singer in the town of Sheikh Zowayed 5 km from Rafah told Daily News Egypt that people had returned to their damaged homes after evacuation orders but were maintaining caution in case the bombing began again.
Singer added that there were plans from the North Sinai governorate to compensate residents whose homes were damaged and there was also the possibility of relocating them away from the border.
“This was already a government strategy [to remove residents from the border] as part of a redevelopment plan for Rafah which the residents had been opposed to, he added.
North Sinai governor Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shoosha had told the residents near the border to file official complaints against Israel for the destruction of their homes, which would be pushed through international legal avenues.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told Israeli public radio that the option to bomb the tunnels once more was still on the table.
“For the tunnels, nothing will be as it was before. Things must be clear – Israel reserves the right to react militarily against the tunnels once and for all. If we have to act, we will do so, we will exercise our right to legitimate defense, we will not leave our fate … to the Egyptians nor to the Europeans, nor to the Americans, she said.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak had given similar comments to Israeli public television earlier in the day when he said, “If we are forced to, there will be more attacks.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry had not issued a response to the Israeli comments when contacted by Daily News Egypt.
Reports had emanated from Israel earlier this week that it had signed an agreement with Egypt on border security but this was denied by Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
“I reiterate that there is no written agreement between Egypt and Israel in this regard but Israel requests from Egypt to control the border and Egypt smiles and says the border is under control and whomever wants to confirm this need only see Egyptian forces present and vigilant, he said at a press conference Wednesday.
