Gazans drive into Egypt as border chaos deepens

Gazans were driving into Egypt for the first time in large numbers today, after Hamas militants with bulldozers cleared a path for vehicles at the breached border.

Egyptian border guards, who a day earlier had tried to block the influx of Palestinians into Egypt, made no attempt to step in. Only two guards were seen at the main border passage, sitting at the foot of a watchtower, as cars with Gazan and Egyptian plates drove by.

Israel, meanwhile, expressed growing concern about the possible influx of Palestinian militants into areas of Egypt that border the Jewish state.

The Israeli military announced today that its troops were on heightened alert along the Egypt-Israel border, and that an Israeli road and tourism sites in the area were temporarily closed.

The border breach was engineered by Gaza’s Islamic militant Hamas rulers, in an attempt to pressure Egypt to negotiate new arrangements. Both Israel and Egypt have kept Gaza largely sealed in the past two years, especially since the violent Hamas takevoer of the territory in June.

Yesterday Egyptian riot troops using water cannon and dogs briefly tried to start resealing the border, but were met by Hamas defiance. Gaza militants driving a bulldozer knocked down more border barriers, including concrete slabs, under the watchful eye of Hamas security forces, and the Egyptians withdrew.

Today Gazans were using the new path to drive into Egypt into large numbers, making it easier for them to stock up on supplies. In the first days after the breach, most had crossed on foot.

The traffic was going in both directions. Many Egyptian cars were seen in Gaza, including a truck carrying £32,500 worth of cheese, confectionery bars and cleaning supplies for a Gaza City supermarket. Some Gazans drove to the Egyptian resort of El Arish, about 20 miles away.

Egypt faces a dilemma over how to handle the border crisis. If it acts forcefully against the Gazans, it could anger its own people who are sympathetic to the Palestinians’ plight. But if it does nothing, it risks infiltration by Islamic militants.

Hamas is clearly seeking to flex its muscles ahead of a potential new border agreement with Egypt that the militants hope will help end a two-year blockade.

The group called for a three-way meeting among Hamas, Egypt and the Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas to try to come up with a new border arrangement for Gaza.

“If the leadership in Ramallah refuses this call, we will not stand idle until the siege overruns life in Gaza,” Hamas said in a statement.

The border breach provided a significant popularity boost to Hamas, which can claim it successfully broke through the closure that has deprived the coastal strip of normal trade and commerce.

“Hamas did this and when Egypt found resistance, it let up,” said a joyous Reem Sahloul, 28, of Khan Younis. “Hamas proved stronger than the (Egyptian) army.”

Egypt has rejected any suggestion of assuming responsibility for the crowded, impoverished territory – a hot issue in light of comments this week by Israeli officials who said the border breach could relieve Israel of its burdens in Gaza.

Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from the territory in 2005, but it still controls access to Gaza, in addition to Gaza’s airspace and coastline. Israel also provides the fuel needed to run Gaza’s only power plant – the withholding of which is currently causing severe power outages.

In an interview published yesterday, President Hosni Mubarak condemned the situation in Gaza as “unacceptable” and called on Israel to “lift its siege” and “solve the problem”.

“They should get things back to normal according to previous agreements and understandings,” Mr Mubarak told the weekly Al-Osboa.

He also invited rival Palestinian factions to Cairo for talks, but did not mention a date. Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha told the Al-Jazeera TV that Hamas’ supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal, was ready to accept the invitation. But Abbas’ representative in Egypt, Nabil Shaath, said Fatah had made no decision.