Mubarak allows Gazans into Egypt

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-24-2008 09:26

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have poured into Egypt from the Gaza Strip through a demolished section of the border wall. They stocked up on food and fuel in short supply because of an Israeli blockade.

Palestinians return to Gaza after buying daily supplies in Egypt, through the Rafah border between the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt, Jan. 23, 2008. (Xinhua Photo)

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he has ordered the security forces at the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egyptian border to allow Palestinians to cross the terminal to buy basic needs.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he has ordered his troops to allow Palestinians to cross into Egypt from the Gaza Strip.

Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian President, said, "I told them to let them come in and eat and buy food and then return later as long as they were not carrying weapons."

Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister has called for an urgent meeting with his Fatah rivals and the Egyptian government to work out a new shared arrangement for Gaza's border crossings.

Residents in Egypt say they are glad the border has opened.

Egyptian Shopkeeper, said, "Opening the border is a good thing. People get to know each other and get to buy and sell supplies. Relatives can reunite."

Egyptian Resident of Rafah, said, "I wish the borders would stay open for good. They should feel that they are welcome to have anything they want and we sympathize with the Palestinian people, because we are all Muslims and this is the least we can do for them. I wish there were no borders."

Mubarak has also criticized Hamas for continuing to fire missiles into Israel, saying it is not helping the situation especially after he helped convince Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resume fuel shipments into Gaza.

The Egyptian leader has also urged feuding Palestinian factions to sit down and talk with each other, saying their infighting is just what "their enemy" wants.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei