Gaza Blockade Over? Egypt Opens Border to Palestinians
Free Entry, No Permits Required
Five years of full-scale blockade of the Gaza Strip may have finally come to an end in the wee hours of Monday morning, with Egyptian officials announcing that they are opening the border unilaterally and completely to all Palestinians, including those stuck in the strip.
Officials say that all Palestinians can enter Egypt at will now, without permits or visas, and that this will include not only those in Gaza, but Palestinians entering Egypt by plane from elsewhere and means a de facto opening of the Gaza border. Indeed the first travelers entering Egypt without this restriction were seven Palestinians who arrived by plane.
The move comes just a week and a half after the Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said that he was “confident” Egypt’s President Mursi would fully open the Gaza border to trade. This opening seems even more than anyone had hoped.
Israeli officials have yet to respond to the news, but will presumably be extremely hostile to the change, as it will undermine their long-standing strategy of keeping Gazans in a state of constant siege.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz
- US Slams Russia's Missile Sales to Syria - May 17th, 2013
- Nine Killed, 70 Wounded in Bombings Near Kandahar - May 17th, 2013
- Envoy: Russia May Deploy Troops to Tajik-Afghan Border - May 17th, 2013
- Pentagon in Afghan Budget Crisis, Seeks to Shift $10 Billion in Funds - May 17th, 2013
- Nigeria Launching Massive Offensive Against Boko Haram - May 17th, 2013
Roya
July 22nd, 2012 at 8:34 pm
YAYYYYY. I was starting to think that the Egyptian Revolution was all for nothing when Morsi went to Saudi Arabia (i.e. Israel's crown jewel of the Arab world) on his first foreign trip and within weeks of becoming president, but looks like the revolution hasn't been completely hijacked. But I will continue to be skeptical of him until he gives enough reason to think otherwise.
Andron
July 22nd, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Thank God for the Egyptians standing up for humanity and ending the UNLAWFUL and IMMORAL Isreali blockade of the innocent Palestinian People.
What OBAMA and the Western Powers who say they stand for the rights and freedoms of ALL people could OR would NOT do – THE EGYPTIANS have done.
LONG LIVE EGYPT AND ITS RULERS.
contraviews
July 22nd, 2012 at 10:49 pm
Great news.!! Just hope that it will not lead to a Palestinian exodus; that's precisely what the Israelis want so they can steal and grab more Palestinian land. They only have to make living conditions even more difficutl to achieve this.
the lion
July 22nd, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Two things now need to happen, the Palestinians should NOT send missiles off and Egypt needs to tell Israel that it will not stand for attacks on Gaza!
Rebuild Gaza, then reapply to the UN for member Status!
jeff_davis
July 22nd, 2012 at 11:42 pm
It's a political ploy by Morsi. A challenge to the military. The military, captive to US/Israel, will not like it, but will hesitate to countermand it because the Egyptian people will like it a great deal. So the military will look weak, and lose politically. Score one for Morsi.
Lawrence Cutter
July 22nd, 2012 at 11:44 pm
Good news is rare these days. The real international community, and I. will savor this. The inevitable hysterical blood screams to follow from Nutiyahoo and Killery and all their little toads will be added spice.
peter vojta
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:21 am
It had to happened one day, prisones of Warsow Ghetto won at the end as well ….Mankind defeated Fashism – mankind will defeat Zionism.
Victory is assured as this time Mankind will have Good on its side…Powerfull Satanism can be defeated only with help Creator….peter czech
Adam_Smith
July 23rd, 2012 at 3:31 am
This makes Gaza, in effect, the liberated or free Palestine state with Hamas its government while Fatah is the quisling government of occupied Palestine.
From Haaretz this morning:
“The leader of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement which rules the Gaza Strip, met new Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Thursday and hailed Morsi’s election as the start of a ‘new era’ for Egypt and the Palestinians.”
Stay tuned for rapid developments.
Watson
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:01 am
In addition to the political implications, Israel is going to go bonkers over the economic ones. With the blockade in place, Gazans have been forced to buy overpriced products from only Israeli merchants. This kind of ends that 'special' and highly-profitable deal. While I don't see a mega-mall being built immediately over the border in Egypt, I expect that Gazans will get some relief from Israel's illegal restrictions for now.
PEACE EVER AFTER
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:32 am
I might not be a bad idea if Gaza were simply annexed into Egypt as an autonomous state. Then the West Bank shoud start agitating for inclusion into the Israel State with equal voting participation as do the Israeli Arabs.
That might put an end once and for all to the so called the apartheid jewish state.
The alternative would be to compensate all the West Bank and refugee Palestinians for their land and property if they voluntarily leave or have already left in the case of the refugees..
James from Maine
July 23rd, 2012 at 5:59 am
Well. It is about time we have had some good news from the mid – east
David Seals
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:45 am
Yes, this is the best news I've seen in a long time.
@evasmagacz
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:52 am
Sorry guys, just read reports that Cairo Airport officials are disclaiming these rumours. They are saying that to get all new procedures in place will take up to a year.
Peter
July 23rd, 2012 at 7:55 am
This is great news.
Imprisoning an entire population is our modern day crime yet condoned and supported by the so called Humantarian and democratic govt called USA.
No matter what , no population can be so imprisoned . This act itself caused the world to forget about what the Nazis did to the Jews…for then we the outside world now said… our pity for you have evaporated as you are treating the Palestinians as the Nazis did to you.
Cheers to the Gazans who can now work and do business the way most people of the world takes for granted.
Hanussen
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:04 am
Hillary will tell the Egyptian military to order its puppets on the high court to declare this unconstitutional — right after they announce that chanting "Monica" isn't free speech.
@JohnEllis02
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:33 am
Good wisdom, for time is the great arbitrator of truth.
@evasmagacz
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:37 am
Breaking up Gaza from the rest of the Palestine has been Zionist wet dream from the day one.
drdhesq
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:40 am
This might be a good excuse for Israel to retake the Sinai.
@JohnEllis02
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:40 am
I disagree, for the purpose of this world is to establish a full and perfect understanding of darkness, the illusions of good hiding evil. What antiwar.com is all about, think about it.
pendulum
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:49 am
Israel's officials are always hostile and always looking for a place to vent it.
@JohnEllis02
July 23rd, 2012 at 8:52 am
If the whole world could but grasp that one point, Palestine would be liberated, instantly.
jsinton
July 23rd, 2012 at 11:41 am
It won't last. They'll start shooting rockets again, Israel will step in and close the border.
@JohnEllis02
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:24 pm
They only fire their harmless rockets when Israel kills two or more in Gaza. Israel is using drone terrorizers to kill in Gaza, so we shall soon see if Egypt speaks out against it.
Lee Luttrell
July 23rd, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Israel will start shooting rockets at itself and blame the Palestinians. The U.S. will threaten Egypt with foreign aid and the murder of Morsi and his family.
Eddie
July 24th, 2012 at 11:30 am
Great news for sure.. but watch out for a big gigantic whinge from Tel Aviv.. it could possibly start an earthquake.