Two Egyptian soldiers killed, dozens injured on Gaza border

[Colorado Blue]

Egyptian police arrested some 100 Palestinians who swarmed across the Gaza Strip border on Wednesday after gunmen bulldozed a path through the barricade lining the frontier, Palestinian witnesses and officials said.

Earlier, two Egyptian soldiers were killed and 37 wounded as thousands of Egyptian security forces were said to have withdrawn from the border with Gaza as they were unable to flow of Palestinians across the border.

Security forces Lt. Sameh el-Antablyan announced the casualties and said the 3,000 Egyptian security troops, who rushed to the border after it was breached, were forced to pull back.


Brigadier Adel Fawzi, director of criminal investigation for North Sinai, said Egyptian forces had no orders to fire and couldn't stop the mob.

snip

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/666195.html

[CottonBear]

1. Why are the Palestinians illegally crossinging the Egyptian border?

The article dosn't really say why. Can they not cross legally and why do they want to go to Egypt?

[barb162]

3. Another thread's article seems to indicate

the Palestinians were angry about some arrest(s )over a kidnapping. Whether that is correct, who knows. It does seem strange to attack a neighbor country border and soldiers when your own government arrests a suspected criminal.

[CottonBear]

10. Thanks for the information and analysis. Peace. CB. n/t

[Colorado Blue]

4. They can cross legally at the Rafah crossing, which is

monitored to prevent the traffic of terrorists and arms, by the EU.

I don't know why they want to go to Egypt, many have relatives there and so forth, I did see people bringing a horse FROM Egypt in the paper, but probably there is no reason for everybody to go all at once. On the other hand maybe people just get tired of being told what to do all the time. The people in Gaza are free of the Israeli army for the first time since 1967, before that they were controlled by Egypt, before that it was the British Empire, before that the Ottomans, etc.

However, in this case the gunmen seem to be upset because a person who kidnapped some people was arrested. I believe he is a relative of the gunmen. So, they stormed the border and smashed holes in the wall with bulldozers and shot at the Egyptians.

A few days ago, the police themselves attacked the border and scared the EU personnel away. They hid at an Israeli air force base until order was restored. They were upset about another incident. There is an article about this in the I/P forum as well.

It is safe to say that there is a certain amount of unrest in Gaza these days.

[CottonBear]

9. Thank you for your informative post Colorado Blue.

I know much more now and I will continue to try and understand this situation. Thnaks again.

Peace. CB

[Colorado Blue]

13. Peace to you too!

And best wishes in 2006:)

[rfkrfk]

11. only if they are allowed into Egypt

just because someone is allowed out,
does not necessaraly mean they are allowed in, somewhere else.

Whay would Egypt want with these people?

Keep in mind, that on a map, Egypt looks like a big country,
however, a lot of the country is only marginally inhabitable,
because most of the country is desert.

[Colorado Blue]

12. That's true and it's a terrible problem. I think that the world

needs to focus on what we can do with marginal land, to make it more productive and habitable. The old pastoral/nomadism and subsistence farming just won't support large populations.

Ironically, the Israeli technology in these areas, irrigation and desalinization, is the best in the world. Hopefully people will stop being mad at each other so we can can pool our resources and share information. The problems we face environmentally, as a planet, are severe. Famine, drought, extinction of species - five deep sea fish are now in extreme danger - these are problems that don't respect borders and will affect us all.

As far as the Palestinians go, it's sad because a lot of their relatives live in Egypt, and it doesn't make sense for them to be trapped. But that's also the case in Lebanon and Syria, and elsewhere. Immigration is restricted, except in Jordan, which is 70% Palestinian already. I don't know about Syria, because it's a closed society, but in Lebanon, Palestinians after 60 years are considered temporary guests and can't buy property or get jobs, though I think some have made businesses.

The reasons given for this are often political. The Egyptians say they don't want to dilute the Palestinian identity by allowing wholesale immigration, etc. But I think the REAL problem is as you say: limited resources, widespread poverty and a lack of jobs.

[barb162]

2. Hundreds of Palestinians Enter Egypt After Smashing Border

(AP's take on it)


Hundreds of Palestinians Enter Egypt After Smashing Border

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Hundreds of angry Palestinians streamed into Egypt on Wednesday after militants with stolen bulldozers broke through a border wall, and two Egyptian troops were killed and 30 were wounded by gunfire in the rampage.

About 3,000 Egyptian Interior Ministry troops who initially had no orders to fire swarmed the border but were forced to withdraw about a half-mile, said security forces Lt. Sameh el-Antablyan, who announced the casualties.

Gen. Essam el-Sheikh said Egyptian forces later began firing back.

The scene was one of utter chaos. An Egyptian armored vehicle was burning and hundreds of Palestinians could be seen crouched in farm fields just inside Egypt.snip
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Palestinians-Gaza-Chaos.html

---------------
Two Egyptian troops killed...I wonder how long Egypt will put up with this.

[Colorado Blue]

5. I dig the unrest, after the occupation etc. But why are people

mad at Egypt? I must be missing something. Maybe it's all related to the election?

A few paragraphs from the article:

The militants' rampage through the southern Gaza town of Rafah underscored the growing lawlessness in Palestinian towns, especially in Gaza, and represented the most brazen challenge to the authority of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Earlier, the Egyptian troops fired tear gas and shot into the air. An Egyptian armored vehicle was set ablaze and a witness said three Palestinians were injured -- one seriously, when a troop carrier crushed him against a wall.

Police imposed a curfew on the Egyptian side, all shops were closed, and authorities cut electricity, plunging the scene in near total darkness.

Abbas, who has condemned the chaos, has been unable to impose order, and his failure to keep the gunmen in check is expected to harm Fatah's prospects in Jan. 25 parliament elections.

[occuserpens]

6. I don't think I like how this year begins in the ME

IBRAHIM BARZAK, ASHRAF SWEILAM. Palestinians Enter Egypt After Border Smash http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1470500

[Colorado Blue]

7. Yeah, me either. I am concerned about how the Egyptians

might respond.

[occuserpens]

8. Well

They can beat and kick out a few Palestinians, that's about it.