Egyptian security forces on Monday started to rebuild fences at
the border between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip, the pan-Arab
satellite television al-Jazeera reported.
Egyptian soldiers close
part of a destroyed section of the border wall between the Gaza
Strip and Egypt January 28, 2008.
Barbed wire was erected by Egyptian security forces at two gaps
blown up by Hamas on January 23 along Rafah crossing, which allowed
hundreds of thousands of Gazans to enter the Egyptian side to stock
up foods, fuel and other basic needs.
Hamas fighters stood by and did not interfere with Egyptian
forces' efforts to patch up the frontier barrier, while hundreds of
Palestinians managed to cross through other breaches under joint
Hamas and Egyptian guard.
The border is expected to be closed within the next 24 hours as
Egypt was exerting efforts to stem the flow of goods to the border
area, the report added.
An Egyptian soldier
closes part of a destroyed section of the border wall between the
Gaza Strip and Egypt January 28, 2008.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said on Monday that
his country will seek to control its border with the Gaza Strip
gradually and restore the situation there to an acceptable
condition.
Egypt on Sunday approved Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'
proposal to deploy his guard troops at the crossing along with the
EU monitors, according to an international deal signed in
November2005.
However, Abbas did not give any detail about the implementation
of his proposal as the Gaza Strip is currently under the control of
Hamas.
On Monday, the EU was considering redeploying its monitors on
Rafah crossing between the Hamas-run Gaza and Egypt with the
guarantees from Hamas that the monitors' lives will not be
endangered.
Hamas rejected the deal and demanded new arrangements based on
excluding the monitors and reopening the borders as a pure
Egyptian-Palestinian passage.
The EU monitors withdrew from Rafah crossing last June when
Hamas routed Abbas' security forces and took control of the coastal
enclave.
Israel imposes a strict closure on Gaza since Hamas began ruling
the enclave and tightened the blockade on January 17 after Gaza
militants stepped up rocket attacks on southern Israel.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2008)
