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Palestinians take over Egypt-Gaza Strip border

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elfshadow
Post subject: Palestinians take over Egypt-Gaza Strip border
Posted: Sat 26 Nov , 2005 12:01 am
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
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To answer Lord_M's call :).

The Palestinians have recently taken over the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip a border that had long been controlled by the Israelis, who closed it after relinquishing the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians. Link here.
Quote:
Palestinians take over key border

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has presided over a ceremony marking the official re-opening of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Declaring the crossing at Rafah open, Mr Abbas said it was "a dream come true" for Gaza's 1.3 million residents.

For the first time, Palestinians will control a gateway to the outside world that is vital for Gaza's economy.

Israel passed control of the border to the Palestinian Authority - under the supervision of EU monitors.

The crossing will actually be opened to Palestinians coming from and going to Egypt on Saturday.

The EU's envoy to the Middle East, Marc Otte said the opening would mean an "enormous step forward toward the freedom of the Palestinian people".

Gaza has no sea port and the Israel has not agreed to allow the international airport to re-open, so the Rafah border is Gaza's gateway to the outside world.

BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston says Palestinians have always hated having to pass through Israeli hands at the frontier, where they were often subjected to delays and questioning.

Israel closed the Rafah crossing on 7 September shortly after withdrawing from Gaza, citing concerns that it would be used to smuggle weapons and militants from Egypt into the Palestinian Territories. Since then, the crossing has barely been open at all.

The Israelis worry that Islamic militants might infiltrate Gaza and threaten Israel. They have insisted on the right to monitor the crossing point on television screens from a base a few kilometres away.

Last-minute deal

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice brokered a deal between Israel and Egypt allowing key border crossings into the Gaza Strip to be re-opened.

Under the agreement, there are limits to Palestinian authority at the border.

Palestinians will control the border, but EU monitors will have the authority to detain vehicles or individuals if they feel they have not been properly checked.


Israeli security officials will watch all movements at the crossing on TV screens, but they will not have veto power over individuals moving through.

While exports will not supervised by the Israelis, the flow of goods into Gaza will remain entirely under its control at the border crossing at Kerem Shalom.

Palestinians will be able to travel in bus convoys between Gaza and the West Bank from December, and in lorry convoys a month after that.

There are plans for a sea port, although the Israelis have refused to allow the international airport to re-open.

EU mission

On Wednesday, the head of the team of EU monitors, Italian military police General Pietro Pistolese, said the crossing would only be open for four hours a day until the number of monitors increases from 20 to between 50 and 70.

European officials have described their role as one of the most important missions the EU has ever undertaken.

It is the first time the EU has been so directly involved in efforts to ease the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As the Europeans are also expecting to play a role at the start of next year in training the Palestinian police force, there is a sense in Brussels that this is a mission that cannot be allowed to fail, correspondents say.
There are still restrictions on the Palestinian border control, but I think it shows promise for more tolerant Israel-Palestine relations. Thoughts?


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