Somehow, it seemed inappropriate not to post this, even if it may have been widely reported. The fact that this happened is only indication of the absurd and criminal reality people are exposed to at the moment. More importantly, that Egypt should only out of embarrasment of the disaster in its own policies of appeasement of the West, be forced to allow or tolerate such a bold and desperate act. -rg

Palestinians flood into Egypt after blowing up border wall

Mark Tran and agencies
Wednesday January 23, 2008
Guardian Unlimited

Tens of thousands of Palestinians today poured into Egypt from Gaza after militants blew up part of the wall between the two territories in protest at an Israeli blockade.
On foot, in cars or riding donkey carts, Gazans burst into the Egyptian border town of Rafah to buy cigarettes, plastic bottles of fuel and other supplies that have become scarce and expensive after months of economic isolation.
"I have bought everything I need for the house for months. I have bought food, cigarettes and even two gallons of diesel for my car," Mohammed Saeed told Reuters.
Many of the Palestinians, some travelling from the northern Gaza Strip, found transport towards the Egyptian coastal town of El Arish, about 40km away.
Others stayed on the Egyptian side of Rafah and clamoured to buy merchandise that has been in short supply in Gaza, even going as afar as emptying some shops.
Hamas, which has controlled the narrow coastal strip since last June, did not take responsibility for knocking the border wall down, but its militants quickly took control as Egyptian border guards stood aside.
Hamas police funnelled the crowds through two sections of the border and inspected bags, confiscating seven pistols carried by one man returning to Gaza.
Palestinian gunmen began blowing holes in the border wall running through Rafah at dawn. There were 17 explosions in all, Hamas security officials said. About two-thirds of the 12km wall was demolished, at one point with the help of a bulldozer.
Hamas expressed support for the move, saying: "Blowing up the border wall with Egypt is a reflection of the ... catastrophic situation which the Palestinian people in Gaza are living through due to the blockade."
Israel expressed its concern at the latest developments and called on Egypt to restore order. "Israel has no forces in Gaza or Egypt, and the Egyptians control the border, and therefore it is the responsibility of Egypt to ensure that the border operates properly according to the signed agreements," said Arye Mekel, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry.
"We expect the Egyptians to solve the problem. Obviously we are worried about the situation. It could potentially allow anybody to enter."
Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, said he had told his men to allow Palestinians into Egypt to buy food before escorting them out.
"I told them to let them come in and eat and buy food and then return them later as long as they were not carrying weapons," he told reporters at the Cairo book fair.
Last week Israel tightened its economic blockade on Gaza in response to an increase in rocket attacks from Palestinian militants. Egypt tacitly supported the Israeli decision by keeping its border with Gaza closed.
In response to international warnings of a humanitarian crisis, Israel yesterday allowed one-off shipments of fuel and cooking oil into Gaza. However, Gazans still face critical shortages of electricity, fuel and other supplies.
The territory has been largely cut off from the world since June, when Hamas seized power in Gaza by force from its Fatah rivals led by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Egypt has largely kept its border with Gaza closed amid concerns of a spillover of Hamas-style militancy into Egypt.
Gaza's Hamas rulers have orchestrated daily demonstrations on the Gaza-Egypt border, in an apparent attempt to appeal to Arabs to put pressure on Egypt to open its border.