EGYPT/GAZA: Hamas demands reopening of Rafah border crossing

Palestinians and the Islamist Hamas movement demand the reopening of Rafah border crossing, as about 105 stranded Palestinians in Egypt start to return to the impoverished strip through Israel. Hamas Islamists insisted on Sunday (July 29) that Israel allow the thousands of Palestinians stranded in Egypt to use the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to return to the Gaza strip. Dozens of children staged a demonstration at the empty Rafah border, calling on Palestinian and Egyptian security officials to reopen the crossing which has been closed since June 9, when European Union monitors pulled out. Since then, the fate of Rafah has been caught up in the power struggle between Hamas and Abbas, who dismissed a unity cabinet led by the Islamists and appointed Salam Fayyad as prime minister of a new government in the occupied West Bank. Many Palestinians see Rafah, Gaza's only direct crossing to the outside world that does not go through Israel, as a symbol of sovereignty. Rafah was technically controlled by Abbas's forces before Hamas's takeover, though Israel frequently exercised its authority to shut it down, citing security reasons. Hamas asserts that the deal between Israel, Abbas and Egypt to open other crossings, instead of Rafah, set a dangerous precedent because it will reduce pressure on the Jewish state to reopen Rafah any time soon. "We in the Hamas movement are calling for the reopening of the Rafah crossing, and we reject the opening of any other crossings which are controlled by the Israelis," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. But for Fatah officials, using the alternative Alawaja crossing is temporary, "We are for the reopening of the (Rafah) crossing under Palestinian control. But about Alawaja, we use this way sometimes, especially when we helped our pilgrims to leave, we used it often during Haj seasons," Ibrahim Abu Naja told a news conference. Hamas and other militant groups fears its supporters will be locked out of Gaza for good if Rafah remains closed. But Hamas stopped short on Sunday of threatening to attack the crossings that were due to be used to bring around 105 Palestinians stranded in Egypt since mid-June back home. The Palestinians were the first of more than 600 stranded Gazans who are expected to return to Gaza through Israel on Sunday and Monday. A Palestinian embassy official, Hani al-Jabour, told reporters that around 627 Palestinians would be allowed to cross into Gaza via Israel under a deal agreed on Saturday. As they boarded buses bound for Israel outside a stadium, one of the refugees, Abd al-Samea, said his entire family had been lucky enough to be included in the initial group but said he would prefer to cross at Rafah. The refugees will reportedly travel through the al-Auja crossing south of the main Rafah crossing, and then travel through Israel and cross into the north Gaza strip at the Erez border crossing. One girl who was set to return to Gaza after the long wait in Egypt said: "I am very happy because I am going to see all of my relatives." The Egyptian Red Crescent estimates that roughly 5,000 Palestinians have been stranded in Egypt since Hamas Islamists seized control of the Gaza Strip on June 14 and the main border crossings - particularly the Rafah crossing -- were closed. Palestinian officials estimate the number of stranded Gazans at between 6,000 and 7,000.

ITN Source | July 29, 2007

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