The European observers — responsible for monitoring the crossing and ensuring the terms of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement are upheld — fled the area,
Barbarians 1, Europe 0
Rice's huge success!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who thinks Rice should be President? Who thinks even Albright would not be this stupid?
Who thinks the Israeli Government collectively should be institutionalized?
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Palestinian Police Storm Gaza-Egypt Border
Yahoo News ^ | Dec 30, 2005 | AP
By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 30, 2005
Palestinian policemen angry over the killing of a fellow officer stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing Friday, firing shots in the air and forcing European monitors to close the border and flee, Palestinian and European officials said.
About 100 policemen entered the Rafah compound and took up positions alongside border patrol officers at the customs section of the crossing, Palestinian security officials and witnesses said.
The European observers — responsible for monitoring the crossing and ensuring the terms of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement are upheld — fled the area, officials said.
There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
The policemen were friends and family of an officer who was killed Thursday in a family feud in Gaza, Palestinian security officials said. They took over the border to prevent members of the two families from leaving Gaza and were demanding the execution of the gunman. They also said no Palestinian officials would be allowed to leave until their demands were met, officials said.
The policemen shut the border's main gate and fired in the air when a car carrying an unidentified Palestinian official tried to enter the compound. The chief Palestinian security officer at the crossing asked the policemen to leave, but they refused.
The border was closed because according to the Israeli-Palestinian agreement the crossing cannot operate if the European contingent is not present, said Julio De La Guardia, spokesman for the European monitors.
"Our monitors are now in the Kerem Shalom military base. When the situation is clear, and these people leave, we will go back to our work," De La Guardia said. Kerem Shalom is an Israeli military base on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza.
The takeover is the latest in a rash of armed kidnappings and takeovers of government buildings that underscores the lawlessness in Gaza and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' inability to bring order to the coastal area following Israel's withdrawal in September.
A British woman and her parents were kidnapped Wednesday by armed gunmen near the Rafah crossing. The family's fate remains unknown. Palestinian security were searching for the family, while British diplomats monitored the situation. |
