Egyptian officials today announced that the Israeli mandated blockade on the Gaza Strip has been a failure and that they will keep their border crossing open at Rafah indefinitely.
So far officials say the move has meant very little, as Egypt is only allowing people out who have foreign residency or need urgent medical treatment through the border crossing.
The recent pressure on the blockade came after last week’s Israeli attack on a Gaza bound aid flotilla, which brought renewed focus to years of Israel blocking all but the bare minimum of humanitarian aid to the strip.
Egypt’s response to the call to quit the blockade was to open the border, though at the moment they are still said to be refusing to let any large scale humanitarian aid pass through the border crossing.
Openings of the Rafah crossing have been intermittant over the past several years, and have always been met with harsh Israeli condemnation. Egypt has promised in the past to never make any official deal to keep the border open without Israel’s permission.
Israel has promised that the blockade will continue on their side and that aid ships will continue to be attacked on the open seas. They have yet to comment on Egypt’s latest move.
Jason Ditz,
Anyone wishing to be associated with a policy that starves children are the true monsters of our world society. One can certainly understand the genocidal maddness of Israel in wanting the blockade,, but one would think that Egypt, that paragon of Muslim countries, would not participate in this, no? But I digress, what else should one expect?
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Is this just wishful thinking or do you have link(s) to substantive news?
I think Israel's behavior towards the Palestinians is wrong. However, one could make the point that activists could be putting more pressure on Egypt. Israel is not the only one letting this happen.
Egypt is following orders straight from Tel Aviv and/or Washington in imposing this blockade. Mubarak is afraid to go to the bathroom without asking for Israel's permission first. He also tortures his own people for protesting his government's policies. Oh and he just happens to be a stalwar ally of the U.S. government – he is the person Obama praised as the model for other Middle Eastern governments to follow. This blockade is an Israeli policy that is followed by the U.S. and demanded of Egypt to follow.
I dont know how many more rockets will be fired into Egypt . I dont recall of hearing of rocket attacks against Egypt . So it could be politicaly acceptable for Egypt to lift their part of the blockade . You dont suppose muslims would stick together and try to further empower the Islamic religion
While it is not a complete victory for Gaza, it is at least something. We can only hope that this breach in the Israeli blockade will be the opening that leads to an ever increasing erosion of the stranglehold. If the Berlin Wall could come down, so can the Israeli hunger blockade.
The American government is paying the Egyptian dictactor $2.5 billion a year which $200 million of it goes to build prisons to keep the pro democracy Egyptians in jail,while they are being tortured by the secret police which is paid by the American tax payers.In the meantime, thousands of teachers in America are fired becuase there are no money to keep them employed.That is why the America is called a nation of sheep.
And how much are we paying the Neo-Zionists to try and starve the Palestinians out?
Its an election year. We can certainly make sure the message is sent that we want our money spent on teachers and not going to Israel and Egypt. That's $5-7 billion a year between them, which would pay for a lot of teachers.
If you support murder and piracy on the high seas and using your tax dollars to pay for it, then voted Democrat (or Republican) this fall. If you don't support this, vote for somebody else.
It is horrible that a Muslim country,and muslim are a part of this blocked in which old men and women children, sick and invalid person are dying for nothing. Egypt has sold out for money to US and the only country which profitting is Israel. We believe this is unavoidable that America will fall in trouble as already they have a horrible official debt of 13 trillion dollars but unofficial estimates are much higher. This is the only country in which young men and women join army so that after 2-3 years service have enough money to pay college fees.