Egypt declared it was temporarily opening a crossing into the Gaza Strip after a raid on an aid flotilla that ended with Israeli soldiers killing civilians and pro-Palestinian activists sent another boat on Tuesday to challenge Israel's blockade of the Palestinian territory.
The raid provoked ferocious international condemnation of Israel, raised questions at home, and appeared likely to increase pressure to end the blockade that has deepened the poverty of the 1.5 million Palestinians in the strip. Turkey, which unofficially supported the flotilla, has led the criticism, calling the Israeli raid a "bloody massacre." |