You have commented 338 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinians commandeer the Rafah crossing (updated)
2005-12-30
Armed Palestinians commandeer the Rafah crossing Friday shutting down the Gaza-Egypt border terminal indefinitely. The European monitors fled to the Israeli border facility at Kerem Shalom

DEBKAfile reported Sunday, Dec. 25, on the threat by Jemal Abu Sema Dana, head of the Palestinian Resistance Committees chief and Fatah al-Aqsa Brigades, to seize the Rafah terminal and “cleanse” it of foreign monitors. This latest incident signals the final breakdown of agreed measures for securing the Palestinian-Egyptian border built into the international understandings that permitted Israeli troops to withdraw from Gaza. None of these measures are now working, regardless of Israeli government claims to the contrary, especially by defense minister Shaul Mofaz and security coordinator Amos Gilead. Palestinians sources are covering up the seizure by terrorists of the only Palestinian exit point by depicting it as a police blockade in protest against the killing of a fellow officer Thursday.

More Details:
Palestinian policemen angry over the killing of a fellow officer stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing Friday, firing in the air and forcing European monitors to flee and close the crossing for several hours, officials said. About 100 policemen stormed the Rafah compound and took up positions alongside border patrol officers at the customs section of the crossing, Palestinian security officials and witnesses said.

Hours after the European observers — responsible for monitoring the crossing and ensuring the terms of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement are upheld — fled, Julio De La Guardia, spokesman for the monitors, said the situation had been brought under control and the border would be reopened later Friday. It was not immediately clear how the incident was resolved.

The policemen who stormed the border crossing were friends and family of an officer killed Thursday in a family feud in Gaza, Palestinian security officials said. They said no Palestinian officials would be allowed to leave Gaza until the gunman responsible was executed, according to officials. 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 had been closed because according to the Israeli-Palestinian agreement the crossing cannot operate if the European contingent is not present, said De La Guardia.
Posted by:Steve

#9  I thought Egypt was responsible for enforcing the agreement? Egypt should be cleaning out the Paleo-Terrorists and reopening the crossing. As for the Euro monitors they are all cowards who ran away from their posts. They are not reliable as monitors given that fact.

Where are all the Euro's with balls? Their Grandparents left for the US and they were born here. Europe is the weak kneed and spineless end of the gene pool. "Run away, run away." the motto of the EU.
Posted by: Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu   2005-12-30 15:44  

#8  "Run awayyyyyy"
Posted by: Frank G   2005-12-30 15:20  

#7  "forcing European monitors to flee"
Exactley, how is this any better than just a camera?
Posted by: plainslow   2005-12-30 12:29  

#6  More hard evidence that the "Palestinian people" are nothing but sub-human savages completely at odds with anything resembling civilization. Maybe they should be removed to Europe, where they would likely be received with open arms. Birds of a feather, and all that.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2005-12-30 12:08  

#5  Make the Egyptians shell the bastards this time.
Posted by: mojo   2005-12-30 11:11  

#4  16 more resolutions and we can solve the problem. Sub contract it to Isreal.
Posted by: plainslow   2005-12-30 10:31  

#3  Palestinian policemen angry over the killing of a fellow officer stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing Friday, firing in the air and forcing European monitors to flee and close the crossing for several hours, officials said.

The Paleos actually have cops? I always thought they were mostly thugs with badges...
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-12-30 10:14  

#2  The European monitors fled to the Israeli border facility at Kerem Shalom

I laughed and laughed, then puked.


Posted by: Leon Clavin   2005-12-30 10:10  

#1  The Euro newspapers will not want to admit that the IDF at Kerem Shalom protected their monitors. I figure they will use all kinds of weasel words to cover it up (good chance the NYTimes will also).

Posted by: mhw   2005-12-30 09:35  

00:00