Troops seal Egypt's crossing into Gaza, Serene Assir reports from the border Following days of chaos, with Palestinians and Egyptians streaming across the border at Rafah, in and out of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian and Egyptian security forces sealed off the border this week. Moves to close the border were gradual. As early as Sunday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that no further movement out of Gaza would be tolerated. However, Palestinians stranded on the Egyptian side of the border would be allowed to re-enter, Abbas said. By Tuesday, security measures were reinforced with the Egyptian side sealing off the border, and effectively taking control of the controversial area, while Palestinian forces on the other side were preparing themselves for the official takeover of Rafah's main checkpoint. Consequently, hundreds of Palestinians were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border, waiting to go home following their brief stay in Egypt. It is so far unclear just what the terms for entry and exit into the Gaza Strip will be. What is certain, however, is that border control on the Palestinian side will remain in Israeli hands. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly on condition of anonymity, an Egyptian security official at the border said that Israel has already started constructing a new checkpoint a few hundred metres away from the existing gateway into Gaza. On the other hand, the current checkpoint will only be used as an exit point. In other words, the Palestinian Authority (PA) will hold no effective power over the only border crossing to the outside world that does not involve the near-impossible entry into Israel first. The decision to seal off the Gaza Strip was reportedly enforced in response to the situation earlier in the week, when up to 100,000 Gazans crossed into Egypt in order to visit relatives, to buy cheaper goods or simply to celebrate a new-found freedom of movement following the Israeli withdrawal. In just a few days, the influx of Palestinians was such that prices in Rafah and the north Sinai town of Al-Arish rose tenfold in response to increased demand. The two towns, the population density of which is low, were reportedly emptied of goods by Monday. And although it has not yet become clear when the border will be reopened, rumours are rife on the Egyptian side of the town of Rafah. While Egyptian officials have not yet confirmed a time when entry will be facilitated, one security official told the Weekly that "this all might take a while... After everything went out of control earlier this week, the situation is now being kept under tight scrutiny." Egyptian and Palestinian residents of north Sinai, as well as Gazans waiting to go home, are busy theorising over what the future holds. Some predicted on Tuesday that the border would remain closed for just a few hours longer, if not less. "I just heard from the Egyptian guards that the checkpoint will be opened in half an hour," 22-year- old Ahmed, from Gaza, said, protecting his face from the scorching sun. "Don't believe that," 35- year-old Abu Zeid, an Egyptian, said. "The situation will take a very long time to be solved. Perhaps these Palestinians will be able to go back home; but as for any further movement, you can forget about that happening for a very long time to come." The issue at hand is essentially the difficulty of formalising border protocols at a crossing as problematic and politically sensitive as Rafah. It was only when Israeli forces were staging the very last phases of their withdrawal from the Gaza Strip that they abandoned the border checkpoints, and their move came unannounced. Now, as Egyptian security forces seal the area off with dozens of troops placed at every potential opening into the strip, it has again become impossible for Palestinians to go home. The frustration of hundreds of Gazans who had initially come in search of cheap goods or a family visit is understandable; for the most part they are angry and searching for ways to pass the time. Such has been the tension that several fights among young men broke out Tuesday afternoon, only ending when Egyptian troops intervened. Women and men alike were shocked that even after their "liberation" from the Israeli military diktat, they were still, according to 20-year-old Yasser from Gaza, "treated like animals". Yasser says "We have nowhere to sleep, no food and no water, and we are being promised that we'll make it across any minute, so we cannot leave the checkpoint to rest in case we miss the buses leaving for Gaza. Even animals would have received better treatment!" "I've been here, stranded with my two daughters, for three days. All I wanted was for them to see their uncles, who have lived on the Egyptian side of Rafah for decades now," 50-year-old Zainab, told the Weekly. "Now look. We're stuck again. What has changed for us Palestinians? Whenever we heave a sigh of relief, reality doesn't take long to strike again." Containing the chaos on the border is now a top Egyptian priority. Egypt, sources say, is well aware that its image as a key Middle East peace guarantor and its relations with Israel and, consequently with the US, are at stake should the state of chaos on the border evolve into a security hazard for Israel. Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit, who was in the US for high-level talks with top world diplomats, stressed Egypt's commitment to promptly provide stability on the border. He also said that maximum assistance would be given to the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to stabilise the situation in Gaza. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is planning a visit shortly to Egypt to meet President Hosni Mubarak to discuss a coordinated plan of action in order to permanently secure stability along the border.
