Hamas rejects Gaza crossing opening
The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has been closed by Israel since June 9 [AP]10 July 2007
The Hamas movement has rejected an offer to open the Israeli-controlled Karm Abu Salim crossing between Egypt and Gaza, despite 6,000 Palestinians being stranded on the Egyptian side.
Hamas say they believe that refugees returning through the checkpoint could be arrested by Israeli authorities.
Hamas say they believe that refugees returning through the checkpoint could be arrested by Israeli authorities.
Ismail Haniya, a Hamas leader, urged the Egyptian government to return those stranded through the Rafah crossing instead.
Supporters, members and political leaders of the faction headed to the Rafah crossing on Tuesday as the movement called for a rally against the use of Karm Abu Salim.
Plea to Abbas
Hamas said it feared that opening the crossing would risks the lives of Hamas fighters and other Palestinian factions.
The protesters called on Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to hold himself responsible for ending the crisis by opening the Rafah crossing as the sole official Palestinian gateway.
Palestinian medical sources said that at least 28 Palestinians of those stranded on the Egyptian side of Rafah have died since the beginning of June.
Of the 6,000 people believed to be stranded there 20 per cent are suffering from illnesses and diseases that require immediate and daily medical treatment, health workers say.
Israeli checkpoint
The Israeli government announced on Monday that it was to allow hundreds of Palestinians stranded in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula to cross back to the Gaza Strip through Karm Abu Salim.
The Palestinian emergency government confirmed that it had agreed to the Israeli-Egyptian offer.
Palestinians have been unable to cross back to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, which Israel closed after Palestinian in-fighting left Hamas in full control of the strip.
The decision came a day after angry protests by the stranded Palestinians, who have complained of neglect at the hands of both the Egyptian government and the Palestinian emergency cabinet.
Opposition
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, speaking to Al Jazeera on Monday, said: "Talking about opening Karm Abu Salim crossing targets the movement [Hamas] and all the resistance forces."
"This serves economic objectives for the Israeli occupation authorities and for some Palestinian Authority leaders."
Abu Zuhri said other solutions could be found to resolve the issue and that Hamas was willing to re-open the Rafah crossing.
Riyad al-Malki, information minister in Mahmoud Abbas' emergency government, blamed Hamas for keeping the Palestinians in Egypt.
Al-Malki and other ministers of the Fatah-aligned Palestinian president's government visited on Sunday the Palestinians who have been stranded in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for nearly a month.
He said: "Hamas wants to keep the Palestinians suffering as long as possible and use it as a political gain."
The information minister met Palestinians in the Sinai cities of Rafah and el-Arish on Monday, telling them that they are considered "one of most important priorities of the new government", and promised that they would work to allow them to return home.
Demonstrators in el-Arish yelled at the visiting delegation, shouting slogans including: "We don't want Fatah or Hamas, we just want to get out of here."
Source
Supporters, members and political leaders of the faction headed to the Rafah crossing on Tuesday as the movement called for a rally against the use of Karm Abu Salim.
Plea to Abbas
Hamas said it feared that opening the crossing would risks the lives of Hamas fighters and other Palestinian factions.
The protesters called on Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to hold himself responsible for ending the crisis by opening the Rafah crossing as the sole official Palestinian gateway.
Palestinian medical sources said that at least 28 Palestinians of those stranded on the Egyptian side of Rafah have died since the beginning of June.
Of the 6,000 people believed to be stranded there 20 per cent are suffering from illnesses and diseases that require immediate and daily medical treatment, health workers say.
Israeli checkpoint
The Israeli government announced on Monday that it was to allow hundreds of Palestinians stranded in the Egyptian Sinai peninsula to cross back to the Gaza Strip through Karm Abu Salim.
The Palestinian emergency government confirmed that it had agreed to the Israeli-Egyptian offer.
Palestinians have been unable to cross back to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, which Israel closed after Palestinian in-fighting left Hamas in full control of the strip.
The decision came a day after angry protests by the stranded Palestinians, who have complained of neglect at the hands of both the Egyptian government and the Palestinian emergency cabinet.
Opposition
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, speaking to Al Jazeera on Monday, said: "Talking about opening Karm Abu Salim crossing targets the movement [Hamas] and all the resistance forces."
"This serves economic objectives for the Israeli occupation authorities and for some Palestinian Authority leaders."
Abu Zuhri said other solutions could be found to resolve the issue and that Hamas was willing to re-open the Rafah crossing.
Riyad al-Malki, information minister in Mahmoud Abbas' emergency government, blamed Hamas for keeping the Palestinians in Egypt.
Al-Malki and other ministers of the Fatah-aligned Palestinian president's government visited on Sunday the Palestinians who have been stranded in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula for nearly a month.
He said: "Hamas wants to keep the Palestinians suffering as long as possible and use it as a political gain."
The information minister met Palestinians in the Sinai cities of Rafah and el-Arish on Monday, telling them that they are considered "one of most important priorities of the new government", and promised that they would work to allow them to return home.
Demonstrators in el-Arish yelled at the visiting delegation, shouting slogans including: "We don't want Fatah or Hamas, we just want to get out of here."
Source
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 2:51 AM
2 Comments:
Housewife:
This article seems to make no sense. It looks like Israel wants to open a crossing, to prevent 1000's of Palestinians from suffering, but Hamas won't permit it.
Isn't Hamas supposed to care about the Palestinian people's welfare?
Carl,
If you look very closely at the article and know anything of the real history of the Israeli’s you would understand why Hamas has apprehension in allowing the crossing to be opened.
If the crossing was opened, Israel could either be waiting to murder those crossing or arrest them, I think Hamas is taking into consideration the welfare of these people and I have no doubt they are concerned for their welfare being stuck in Egypt.
Right now this is a delicate situation in knowing exactly what to do so the people that are in Egypt could one day cross in complete safety.
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