RAFAH: As Israeli unmanned reconnaissance drones hovered over what appeared to be Egyptian airspace on Thursday near Rafah, trucks from Egypt crossed over carrying much-needed medical supplies to the embattled Gaza, under fire for a sixth day. So far more than 400 Gazans have been killed, including 34 children, and some 1,700 have been wounded since Israel embarked on its aerial campaign on Saturday, Gaza health officials said. In no man's land between the Egyptian and the Palestinian sides of the Rafah border, 15 wounded Palestinians arrived from Gaza hospital and were transferred from Palestinian to Egyptian ambulances where they were to be transported about 50 km west to Al-Arish General Hospital or the Mubarak Military Hospital, also in Al-Arish. The cases were to be later sent either to Cairo or to Ismailia. At about 3 pm, Egyptian ambulance workers were told to expect two more casualties from Gaza Hospital. Around 30 stranded Palestinians were also allowed to return to Gaza. Prior to that at about noon, 14 supply trucks brought in by the Egyptian Doctors' Syndicate were allowed through, along with truck-loads of supplies from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Turkey. Fifteen to 20 members of parliament, led by Mounir El Shorbagy, secretary general of the ruling National Democratic Party in North Sinai, made their way to the border in the early afternoon carrying posters of Mubarak, singing the national anthem and chanting about their solidarity with Gaza as their two lorries of supplies cut the queue, making it through before the remaining 15 trucks waiting to cross. No air raids which targeted the tunnels linking Egypt to Gaza days before took place on Thursday. Although most reporters were being turned back miles away from the border, Daily News Egypt managed to get through, but at the crossing this reporter was not allowed to speak to any of the Egyptians who were manning the Palestinian side of the gate. In Egyptian Rafah, however, residents were quick to condemn the terrifying ordeal they're going through. "It's as if we're living in Palestine, one resident Amal Hosni told Daily News Egypt, referring to the bombing of the border a few days earlier. She explained how her one and a half-year-old daughter Shahd has been struck with fear ever since. "We're terrified, she said. "But why are they blowing up the tunnels and if they do want to close them down, then they should open the borders. Another resident, Khaled Ahmed, insists that the tunnels are not used to smuggle guns or drugs, as both the Israeli and Egyptian authorities claim. "They're for food and clothes. Without them these people will have nothing, he said.
