CAIRO - In remembrance of the 1,400 Gazans crushed to death by Israeli warfare in 2008, dozens of Egyptian activists demonstrated outside Egypt's Foreign Ministry calling for cutting trade ties with Israel. The group, calling itself "Activists for Palestine", forwarded a six-demand petition to Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, including severing ties with Israel. "The response to Israel war against Palestinians should include ending political relations with Israel, halting the export of gas to Israel and putting an end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza," read a statement by the group. They also announced their opposition to the presence of Israeli-funded trade chains in Egypt, arguing that they serve "Zionist interests". "Cutting off trade ties with Israel could have a huge impact in the battle against Zionists," the statement added. On December 27, 2008, Israel started what it called operation "Cast Lead", which resulted in the killing of approximately 1,400 Palestinians and injuring 5,000 in the three-week attack. More than half of Gaza's infrastructure, destroyed during the attack, remains un-repaired as a result of Israel's siege, which bans the entry of building materials. One of the most important developments concerning Gaza in 2010 was President Hosni Mubarak's order for the Rafah border crossing, which bypasses Israel through Egypt, be opened in response to Israel's deadly raid on a flotilla of aid ships attempting to break the three-year blockade of the enclave.