Gazans Reopen Border Wall

Moves comes after Egypt tried to seal border

By Lucas Laursen, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 25, 2008 7:36 AM CST

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Gazans Reopen Border Wall — Egyptian border guards and riot police officers prevent Palestinians from crossing the border after militants exploded the wall between Gaza Strip and Egypt earlier this week, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Friday, Jan. 25, 2008. Egyptian border guards with riot shields formed human chains Friday, trying... (Associated Press)

Hours after Egypt began sealing its breached border with Gaza, Palestinians reopened a new hole in the wall with a bulldozer, the BBC reports. Egyptian security forces had begun using human chains and water cannons this morning to stem the flow of Palestinians, but authorities offered little resistance when the Palestinans countered.

The UN estimates half of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents have entered Egypt to buy food and other supplies since militants blew a hole in the wall Wednesday. The US pressured Egypt yesterday to seal the border, as did Israel, which is worried about arms smuggling. Israel killed four militants in airstrikes near the border last night. (More Palestine stories.)

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