Egyptian security forces have been gradually reasserting their control over parts of the border with the Gaza Strip. Riot police deployed in large numbers along parts of the border in the town of Rafah, and security forces blocked one broken section of the border with barbed wire and chain-link fencing. They continued to allow people to freely cross the border on foot, but they have restricted vehicle traffic.
Hamas-affiliated militants on the Gaza side of the border have been keeping Palestinian cars from entering Egypt, but allowing trucks to pass. There is no confirmation that Hamas is working in concert with the Egyptian authorities, but their actions seem to indicate some coordination in their approach to the border traffic flow. But in Cairo, Egyptian officials and Arab League foreign ministers reaffirmed their opposition to working directly with Hamas.
Egyptian officials have made it clear that they do not intend to leave the border wide-open for much longer, but they have struggled to find ways of effectively closing it down. Clashes broke out on Friday when they tried to close it by force, so in recent days they have flung up scores of checkpoints around the border town of Rafah, trying to prevent Gazans from moving further into Egypt. |