Egypt opens border with Gaza for humanitarian aid

[Abaddon]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...ns-border-with-Gaza-for-humanitarian-aid.html

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.​

The order came a day after Monday's deadly raid by Israeli commandos on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza.

"Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has given orders to open the Rafah border crossing to allow humanitarian and medical aid into the Gaza Strip, as well as to receive medical cases which require access to Egyptian territory," said Egyptian news agency MENA.

"This comes as part of Egypt's moves to ease the suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

The move, urged by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas against whom the embargo has been directed, prompted dozens of people to race to the crossing point in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, though the gates appeared still to be closed.

According to Egyptian security sources in Rafah, the border opened on Tuesday at 1.30pm (1030 GMT). No date has been set for it to close again.

Earlier on Tuesday, Hamas's Syrian-based leader Khaled Meshaal said: "We call on our brothers in Egypt to use this historic moment to open Rafah crossing. Egypt is able to do this and that would indeed be a real response to Israel's actions."

The most interesting question for me is this, how will they distinguish "humanitarian and medical aid" from undesirable cargo?

Will this see an exodus of Palestinians?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Sounds like a good way to get PR points.

 

[Agarwaen]

A great move from Egypt!

 

[GinandTonic]

Bad for Israel. Since the weapons was smuggled in under the Egyptian fence this really will let lots of rockets in. As opposed to the ships which as far as we know didnt have a single rocket on them.

 

[MobBoss]

Well, it hasnt been mentioned a lot yet, but the blockade of Gaza was always a partnership effort with Egypt, and despite this, I dont see that changing. But its going to be up to the Egyptians to ensure to the Israelis that all aid crossing the border be effectively searched and screened for contraband or disallowed items.

Egypt takes the problem of Hamas fairly seriously, and in order to combat arms and weaponry getting into Gaza is constructing a huge underground metal barrier to prevent tunneling under the board with Gaza.

Great PR move for them though, I do have to admit that.

 

[GinandTonic]

I'm not at all sure about that. The US media really doesnt get quite how angry every other country in the world is about all this. This isnt some diplomatic spat that will all blow over in a couple of weeks. This is a whole different order of magnitude to the passport/ assassination debacle.

 

[MobBoss]

I'm not at all sure about that. The US media really doesnt get quite how angry every other country in the world is about all this. This isnt some diplomatic spat that will all blow over in a couple of weeks. This is a whole different order of magnitude to the passport/ assassination debacle.

Since when is every other nation in the world not angry at Israel for even existing?

I mean really.

And yes, I think the videos that were shot of the boarding are going to go a long way in quelling the reasonable and logical people out there. Not so much for people that hated Israel to begin with though. Israel could be found to be 100% in the right on all of this and it wouldnt change their opinion one iota.

 

[ColdClimate]

Since when is every other nation in the world not angry at Israel for even existing?

I mean really.

Well the first that comes to mind is Turkey, which was getting pretty comfy with Israel up until recently. Do greece and china usually get huffy about israel's right to exist?

And yes, I think the videos that were shot of the boarding are going to go a long way in quelling the reasonable and logical people out there. Not so much for people that hated Israel to begin with though. Israel could be found to be 100% in the right on all of this and it wouldnt change their opinion one iota.

THe issue is so charged, I really doubt anyone important on either side is going to change thier mind following this incident, no matter how the inquiry goes (or doesn't)

 

[GinandTonic]

THe issue is so charged, I really doubt anyone important on either side is going to change thier mind following this incident, no matter how the inquiry goes (or doesn't)

No. This, on the back of the passport/ assassination, has changed minds. That is precisely the point.

Four years ago Israel had goodwill from a dozen nations and half the g12. Now the US is the only nation not to condemn it.

 

[Truronian]

Has the media blackout on the detainees been lifted yet?

 

[emzie]

I have to imagine there was some domestic pressure for this to happen. As good of PR as it is, there were some other pragmatic concerns.

No. This, on the back of the passport/ assassination, has changed minds. That is precisely the point.

Four years ago Israel had goodwill from a dozen nations and half the g12. Now the US is the only nation not to condemn it.

Canada didin't either.

 

[GinandTonic]

Canada didin't either.

I thought you guys condemned the attacks, rather than just the loss of life?

 

[emzie]

I thought you guys condemned the attacks, rather than just the loss of life?

We regret the loss of life and await more information or something equally as spineless. It's in line with Washington.

 

[ColdClimate]

Hmmm...well, up untii now I had mostly been reading about the event in question, rather than the international reaction. I'm willing to concede that this could change a lot of minds...

Contre: Well what could we say? Netanyahu was RIGHT THERE!!!

...aaaawkward.....

 

[emzie]

Canada has basically been parroting US policy, if not going further than the American stance, since Harper took charge. The statement put forth would have been the same if Netanyahu were on the moon at the time.

 

[Lockesdonkey]

Bad for Israel. Since the weapons was smuggled in under the Egyptian fence this really will let lots of rockets in. As opposed to the ships which as far as we know didnt have a single rocket on them.

In point of fact:

(1) The rockets are homegrown, built in the Gaza Strip. Some of the materials might come from outside, though.

(2) There is a ridiculous number of tunnels under the fence. It's big business. The materials for rocket production, etc., are already more than Hamas knows what to do with. They know they can only step up their rocket attacks so much before provoking Israel's wrath, and although last time was hardly a failure for them, they'd rather not go through it again.

(3) Gaza is now so flooded with arms that it is actually exporting guns to Egypt for more vital supplies. Adding to the glut is the fact that Hamas has seized the weapons of various groups in the territory; while this includes Fatah, the biggest busts have been of Islamist groups that make Hamas itself look as extreme as Eisenhower and as violent as Gandhi. As a result, guns, etc., are flowing out of Gaza in exchange for things that actually matter: black-market food, water, and medical supplies.

 

[Princeps]

Egypt is run by goons who try hard to pander to the Americans and Israelis, mostly against their own people's wishes. Egypt is the weakest link in the chain around Gaza, so to speak, because of this.

 

[GinandTonic]

@donkey

Odd. The Israeli military spokesman on Newsnight just said the necessity of the blockade was to stop rockets being smuggled in. The US spokesman made some mention of preventing Gaza from being used as a launchpad for rocket attacks on Israel. The ability to hit Tel Aviv was bandied about by the US gov spokesman.

From what you say it would seem the reasons given by gov spokesmen for the US and Israel for the blockade are completely untrue.

 

[Abaddon]

(3) Gaza is now so flooded with arms that it is actually exporting guns to Egypt for more vital supplies. Adding to the glut is the fact that Hamas has seized the weapons of various groups in the territory; while this includes Fatah, the biggest busts have been of Islamist groups that make Hamas itself look as extreme as Eisenhower and as violent as Gandhi. As a result, guns, etc., are flowing out of Gaza in exchange for things that actually matter: black-market food, water, and medical supplies.

Very interesting, if you can cite that...

 

[Formaldehyde]

Very interesting, if you can cite that...

Well, this article covers the homemade rocket aspect:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qassam_rocket