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Calm restored to Gaza-Egypt
05/01/2006 22:53 - (SA)
Rafah - Calm was restored to the Egypt-Gaza crossing on Thursday, a day after Palestinian militants broke through the border wall with tractors, killed two Egyptian troops, and enabled hundreds of civilians to stream across.
Egyptian security officials said on Thursday that more than 60 Palestinians had been arrested and charged with illegal entry.
It was not disclosed whether some of them were suspected of being involved in Wednesday's violence.
Security officials said on Thursday that the Palestinian authority deployed about 300 police officers at the Rafah border point late on Wednesday and restored control.
Usual security presence
The Palestinian and Egyptian security officials spoke on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorised to speak to the media.
Egypt had no more than the usual security presence at the crossing on Thursday but, a short distance away, 20 police vehicles were parked in the main street of Rafah town, ready to be deployed.
Officials at Cairo airport said two of the 30 Egyptian border troops who were wounded on Wednesday had been flown to Cairo for treatment, as their injuries were severe.
The foreign ministry said that Egypt "strongly condemned" the actions of "an irresponsible group of Palestinians" at Rafah crossing on Wednesday.
Steps to restore order
The ministry appealed to the Palestinian authority to ensure there was no re-occurrence, and thanked the Palestinian police for taking steps to restore order at the crossing.
The ministry said the riot constituted "unwarranted and unprecedented violence" that not only harmed the Palestinians, but also "weakened efforts to support the Palestinian people in their efforts to establish an independent state".
During the riot, armed militants stole two heavy tractors and used them to break through the border wall separating Gaza and Egypt.
General Essam el-Sheikh of the security forces in North Sinai said the militants fired automatic weapons and shotguns, forcing Egyptian troops to pull back one kilometre from the border.
Violent offshoot
The gunmen belonged to the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a violent offshoot of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, and were demonstrating their defiance of the Palestinian authority's attempts to curb them.
Their actions underscored the growing lawlessness in Gaza. Abbas had been unable to impose order, and this was expected to harm Fatah's prospects in January 25 parliamentary elections.
After the border wall was breached, hundreds of Egyptians and Palestinians crossed the frontier in either direction.
Large numbers of Palestinians had family members on the opposite side of the crossing, and many used the chaos as an opportunity to reunite with relatives.
- AP
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