Closing of Egypt's Rafah crossing leaves thousands of Gazans stranded
Thu, 20/11/2014 - 14:20 Reuters
http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/closing-egypt-s-rafah-crossing-leaves-thousands-gazans-stranded

Egypt's decision to shut its border with the Gaza Strip has stranded
thousands of Palestinians on the Egyptian side of the border while around a
thousand people in Gaza are desperate to get out for medical treatment in
Egypt, officials in Gaza say.

Egypt closed Rafah, the only crossing point between Egypt and the
Palestinian territory, on Oct. 25 after attacks by Islamist militants which
killed 33 Egyptian soldiers, an assault that prompted Cairo to declare a
state of emergency in the area.

It is also pressing ahead with a one-km (0.6-mile) buffer zone with Gaza,
partly to clamp down on the smuggling of arms and other goods across the
border, a business that helps finance Hamas, the Islamist group that
dominates the enclave.

One of the unintended consequences of the security clampdown is that some
6,000 Palestinians are now stuck in Egypt or third countries waiting to get
back into Gaza.

Another 1,000 people suffering from medical problems including kidney
failure, cancer and blood-related diseases seek urgent treatment or further
diagnosis in Egypt, said Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Gaza health
ministry.

"If the closure continues, their health conditions will deteriorate and we
may start to witness some deaths," he said.

Israel often takes in urgent cases from Gaza, but Qidra said people are
increasingly reluctant to go to Israel because they fear they will be
interrogated or asked to become an informant for the government about events
in Gaza.

Egypt is keen to regain full control in Sinai, where Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a
militant group allied to Islamic State, is gaining influence, but also to
put pressure on Hamas, which has long had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood
ousted from power in July 2013.

Cairo has destroyed scores of tunnels running from Gaza into Egypt, some up
to a kilometre long, that are used to shift everything from weapons to
medical equipment, building supplies and consumer goods. All the trade is
taxed by Hamas, providing a steady income.

Analysts said while Egypt's moves might well hurt Hamas in the short term,
it would not resolve problems in Sinai.

"The security crackdown in Sinai may complicate things for Hamas and other
factions in Gaza who bring in weapons to fight Israel," said Hamza Abu
Shanab, an expert in Islamist groups.

"It may complicate it, but it will not stop it," he said. "The army's
crackdown is fuelling hatred among residents of Sinai. Unfortunately, the
impact is being felt in Gaza, whose people are paying the price for an
internal struggle."

Eyad al-Bozom, a spokesman for the Gaza interior ministry run by officials
loyal to Hamas, said: "Internal incidents in Egypt are an internal Egyptian
affair that has nothing to do with Gaza. It is illogical to make our people
pay the price for these incidents or be the victim of Egyptian security
measures."