[quote]
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Egypt lifted a four-year-old blockade on the Gaza Strip's main link to the outside world Saturday, bringing relief to the crowded territory's 1.5 million Palestinians but deepening a rift with Israel since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year.
The Egyptian move will allow thousands of Gazans to move freely in and out of the area – heightening Israeli fears that militants and weapons could easily reach its doorstep.
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after the Islamic militant Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007. The closure, which also included tight Israeli restrictions at its cargo crossings with Gaza and a naval blockade, was meant to weaken Hamas, but it also fueled an economic crisis in the densely populated territory.
Hundreds of Gazans gathered early Saturday as the first bus load of passengers crossed the border at 9 a.m. Two Egyptian officers stood guard next to a large Egyptian flag atop the border gate as the vehicle rumbled through.
Rami Arafat, 52, was among the earliest arrivals. He said he hoped to catch a flight out of Cairo on Sunday to Algeria for his daughter's wedding.
"All we need is to travel like humans, be treated with dignity, and feel like any other citizens of the world who can travel in and out freely," Arafat said. He said he believed the relaxing of travel restrictions "will guarantee more support from all Arabs and Palestinians for the new Egyptian regime."
Nearby, 28-year-old Khaled Halaweh said he was headed to Egypt to study for a master's degree in engineering at Alexandria University.
"The closure did not affect only the travel of passengers or the flowing of goods. Our brains and our thoughts were under blockade," said Halaweh, who said he hadn't been out of Gaza for seven years.
Until Saturday, the Rafah border terminal had functioned at a limited capacity. Only certain classes of people, such as students, businessmen or medical patients, were eligible to travel and the crossing was often subject to closures, leading to huge backlogs that forced people to wait for
Under the new system, most restrictions are being lifted, and a much larger number of Palestinians are expected to be able to cross each day.
Inside the border terminal Saturday, the atmosphere was orderly, as Hamas police called up passengers one by one to register their travel documents.
After 5 1/2 hours of operation, terminal officials said 340 people had crossed from Gaza into Egypt. None were forced to return, a departure from the past when Egypt had rejected passengers found to be on "blacklists." Another 150 people crossed from Egypt into Gaza.
"Today is a cornerstone for a new era that we hope will pave the road to ending the siege and blockade on Gaza," said Hatem Awideh, director general of the Hamas border authority in Gaza. "We hope this facilitation by our Egyptian brothers will improve travel and will allow everyone to leave Gaza."
One after another buses crossed Rafah, pulling blue carts behind them with luggage piled high. Inside the terminal, many waited with high hopes.
One woman, who gave her name as Aisha, said she was headed for a long overdue medical checkup in Cairo. She underwent surgery for blocked arteries at a Cairo hospital in October, but Egyptian authorities had prevented her from returning for checkups because a distant relative was caught – and killed – operating a smuggling tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border. During the four-year blockade, a thriving smuggling business has grown along the border.
Salama Baraka, head of police at the Rafah terminal on the Gaza side, said travel has been limited to about 300 passengers a day under the old system. He said it was unclear how many people would pass through Saturday, but that officials hoped to get about three days' worth of people, or roughly 900, across.
About 100 Hamas supporters marched with Palestinian and Egyptian flags outside the border terminal in a gesture of gratitude to Egypt.
"This courageous step by Egypt reflects the deep historic relations between the Palestinian and Egyptian nations," said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahri. "We hope this will be a step in the long process to end the blockade imposed on Gaza."
The new system will not resolve Gazans' travel woes completely.
While Egypt has dropped its restrictions on who can travel, bureaucratic obstacles remain. Men between the ages of 18 and 40 will have to apply for Egyptian visas, a process that can take weeks. Women, children and older men need easier-to-obtain travel permits, which can be obtained in several days.
Israel, which controls Gaza's cargo crossings, allows most consumer goods into Gaza, but it still restricts exports as well as the entry of much-needed construction materials, saying they could be used by militants. Israel also enforces a naval blockade aimed at weapons smuggling.
Israeli and American officials have expressed concerns that Hamas will exploit the opening to bring weapons and fighters into Gaza. In January 2008, masked militants blew open the Rafah border wall, allowing thousands of people to pour in and out of Egypt.
Egyptian officials say they have security measures in place to keep weapons from crossing through Rafah.
Hamas has long used tunnels to get arms into Gaza. Gaza militants now have military-grade rockets that have hit cities in southern Israel.
Amos Gilad, a senior Israeli Defense Ministry official, told Channel 2 TV Friday that Israel's primary concern is that military training personnel could cross to instruct Hamas fighters.
"One trainer who tells them how to set up the rockets and how to use them is equal to a large quantity of weapons," Gilad said.
Egypt's decision to open the border is also meant to boost an Egyptian-mediated unity deal between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. Hamas has governed Gaza since routing Fatah forces in 2007, leaving the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in control only of the West Bank.
Last month, the Egyptian regime brokered a reconciliation deal. With details still being worked out, Hamas will be in charge of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, but Egypt coordinated the opening with the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, said Yaser Afnan, Egypt's ambassador in the West Bank.[/quote]
source: [url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/28/egypt-gaza-border-reopened_n_868390.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk3|66727[/url]
Oh good, maybe the people there now don't have to be shoved into a corner and told to stay there for the rest of their lives.
Good this opens up the road for a real Palestinian state.
Israel is going to act like a petulant child in: 3...2...1...
This is good as long as Egypt ensures their checkpoints with Gaza are not allowing weapons through. Allowing weapons through would not be good for Gaza, Israel or Egypt.
Wish I could say the same would happen with the West Bank and Jordan, but seeing Israel has control over east part with settlements and such, they are already blocked from Jordan even if Jordan could do the same thing. Still, hopefully the people of the West Bank will be able to get the same freedom as the people in Gaza Strip.
[QUOTE=Florence;30099904]Israel is going to act like a petulant child in: 3...2...1...[/QUOTE]
Like they always do?
As long as they stop weapons from getting through, it's AOK with me.
I made a thread about this a couple of days ago and no one replied, and now the thread is gone.
Someone high up didn't like that thread :tinfoil:
[QUOTE=smurfy;30101536]I made a thread about this a couple of days ago and no one replied, and now the thread is gone.
Someone high up didn't like that thread :tinfoil:[/QUOTE]
Yeah I saw it too.
Your thread is not gone btw, searching for ITN has been disabled (idk why) so it won't appear if you try to view your created threads.
Sorry, when I looked at the Huffington Post story it said it was released on the 28th which is today.
Its OK, searching is disabled so your not really at fault, and that thread got no replies either.
[QUOTE=DogGunn;30099934]This is good as long as Egypt ensures their checkpoints with Gaza are not allowing weapons through. Allowing weapons through would not be good for Gaza, Israel or Egypt.[/QUOTE]
No they should give them weapons to fight the evil oppressive Israelis!
[QUOTE=yaik9a;30103141]No they should give them weapons to fight the evil oppressive Israelis![/QUOTE]
Israel is a peaceful nation of devote Jews who would never oppress their fellow man
[QUOTE=yaik9a;30103141]No they should give them weapons to fight the evil oppressive Israelis![/QUOTE]
that is the exact opposite of what should be happening
[QUOTE=yawmwen;30103406]that is the exact opposite of what should be happening[/QUOTE]
egypt should take weapons away from palestine so that they don't fight the saintly non-oppressive israelis?
[QUOTE=Gaza Pen Pal;30103446]egypt should take weapons away from palestine so that they don't fight the saintly non-oppressive israelis?[/QUOTE]
uh the more they try to fight the more israel is going to push down
the fighting thing OBVIOUSLY hasnt worked since thats what got them blockaded in the first place
israel is too superior as far as military strength goes, it is not in the palestinians best interest to be fighting like this
[QUOTE=Gaza Pen Pal;30103446]egypt should take weapons away from palestine so that they don't fight the saintly non-oppressive israelis?[/QUOTE]
What use are non-regulated weapons in Gaza other than to use them against Israel?
Good to hear it. Maybe now the Palestinians can receive proper humanitarian aid.
[QUOTE=FinalHunter;30108064]Yeah thanks for giving me boxes and not explaining. :frog:[/QUOTE]
its because israel has been a huge dick since before i was born
they constantly occupy and settle in palestinian land, persecute palestinian people, and recently blockaded gaza not allowing even food or medicine to get through, pretty much starving the people and keeping gaza as close to collapse as possible
now the gaza side isnt exactly saintly either, they are lead by hamas, technically a terrorist organization with the goal of destroying israel and instating an islamic palestinian state. their paramilitary group shoots rockets into israel, kills indiscriminately, and is a dick in general(in fact hamas is the reason that the blockade was put up)
does that clear it up a little bit?
Hamas fires rockets which kill about 10 people a year, Israel retaliates with heavy artillery killing thousands every year. How is this fair?
[QUOTE=koekje4life V2;30108230]Hamas fires rockets which kill about 10 people a year, Israel retaliates with heavy artillery killing thousands every year. How is this fair?[/QUOTE]
When is war ever fair?
[QUOTE=koekje4life V2;30108230]Hamas fires rockets which kill about 10 people a year, Israel retaliates with heavy artillery killing thousands every year. How is this fair?[/QUOTE]
japan bombs a harbor and kills a couple thousand people and sinks some ships
us retaliates with a campaign of indiscriminate firebombing and an atomic bomb that still causes birth defects and death over 60 years later
how is this fair
[QUOTE=yawmwen;30108356]japan bombs a harbor and kills a couple thousand people and sinks some ships
us retaliates with a campaign of indiscriminate firebombing and an atomic bomb that still causes birth defects and death over 60 years later
how is this fair[/QUOTE]
its fair because only white people are people
[QUOTE=Gaza Pen Pal;30108425]its fair because only white people are people[/QUOTE]
Oh for fuck's sake.
We get it, history isn't fair. You don't need to be a snide jackass to get your point across.
Does anyone on this website know subtlety?
[QUOTE=Swilly;30108526]Oh for fuck's sake.
We get it, history isn't fair. You don't need to be a snide jackass to get your point across.
Does anyone on this website know subtlety?[/QUOTE]
if you need to ask that question you havent been here long enough
[QUOTE=Florence;30099904]Israel is going to act like a petulant child in: 3...2...1...[/QUOTE]
I would to in their situation, but Israel should test open up for Gaza as a test at least now when Egypt done the same.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;30108167]its because israel has been a huge dick since before i was born
they constantly occupy and settle in palestinian land, persecute palestinian people, and recently blockaded gaza not allowing even food or medicine to get through, pretty much starving the people and keeping gaza as close to collapse as possible
now the gaza side isnt exactly saintly either, they are lead by hamas, technically a terrorist organization with the goal of destroying israel and instating an islamic palestinian state. their paramilitary group shoots rockets into israel, kills indiscriminately, and is a dick in general(in fact hamas is the reason that the blockade was put up)
does that clear it up a little bit?[/QUOTE]
Hamas DOES have some parts of its organization that isn't violent towards Israel. Their social welfare branch is meant as being the non-extremest wing. They are known to have built some schools and hospitals for Palestinian civilians in some areas and in Gaza. Now, I can't say without having any doubt that this is 100% "for the people". There are people in the organization that will and have taken advantage of this and it is sad. It's even sadder that you don't see anything about this happening in the news but only about the extremists who march out onto the streets decked in their Hamas garb and shout anti-semitic rhetoric. This isn't meant to argue against you, it's just to point out that not ALL of Hamas are extremists who want to eradicate Israel but again, the chances that those areas of the organization that DON'T support attacking/eradicating Israel having members who are a part of the armed resistance is fairly high. The same thing could be said for the IDF. They have members that don't necessarily want to all wipe out the Palestinians but there are some that do and thanks to western media bias, you only see the ones that don't want to see Palestine gone so that they can compare it to those evil terrorist Arabs over the wall in Gaza.
[QUOTE=DogGunn;30108249]When is war ever fair?[/QUOTE]
That's a shitty justification.
^ Ditto.
[QUOTE=DogGunn;30108249]When is war ever fair?[/QUOTE]
Which is why we should kill as much people as possible in any given situation. Who cares anyways? Let's just go fucking Rambo on this bitch! Let up the kill ratios fella. 1 Israeli per 2k Palestinians. Gogogogo we can do it.
Srsly, if that's your big justification for your little Apartheid state and its crimes&theft - that war isn't fair - then you Israel Apologists are more desperate that I ever believed. You realize more and more people cant' take your crocodile tears anymore and won't buy the victim game.
[QUOTE=Florence;30108920]^ Ditto.
Which is why we should kill as much people as possible in any given situation. Who cares anyways? Let's just go fucking Rambo on this bitch! Let up the kill ratios fella. 1 Israeli per 2k Palestinians. Gogogogo we can do it.
Srsly, if that's your big justification for your little Apartheid state and its crimes&theft - that war isn't fair - then you Israel Apologists are more desperate that I ever believed. You realize more and more people cant' take your crocodile tears anymore and won't buy the victim game.[/QUOTE]
Impressive that you manage to take something I said completely out of context. I didn't justify, I didn't anything. I only pointed out when is war fair?
Fucking idiots.
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