Palestinians rush into Egypt after border blasts

Telegraph.co.Uk, January 24, 2008

By Tim Butcher on the Egyptian side of Gaza’s border

Tens of thousands of Palestinians swept into Egypt after Hamas militants blew holes in Israeli-built border defences that had kept them penned inside the crowded Gaza Strip.

The day Gaza’s Berlin Wall came down

Listen now: Tim Butcher describes the Egypt wall breach

Leader: Hamas can’t be ignored

With Egypt showing no appetite to restore order immediately, Israel’s decades-old control of goods and people reaching Gaza was brought to an end the instant explosive charges punched eight holes in the concrete and steel frontier.

It immediately relieved pressure from the recent blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza to try to stop Palestinian militants firing rockets across the perimeter fence into the Jewish state.

And it raised the very real threat of Palestinian militants ramping up arms smuggling into Gaza from Egypt to increase attacks on Israel.

The international community appeared wrong-footed by the border breach with the United Nations appealing for calm and Jordan warning any Israeli retaliation could derail the peace process.

Coninued . . .

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