Egypt Loses Patience, Threatens Starving Gaza

The Gaza Strip resists a brutal joint "Israeli"-Egyptian blockade since 2006, yet surprisingly Egypt loses patience warning Hamas on Wednesday night that there was a limit to its endurance and that any attempt to provoke the Egyptian security forces would claim a price. 

The Foreign Ministry in Cairo made the announcement following Wednesday's clashes on the Gaza-Egypt border, which left an Egyptian border guard killed by sniper fire and nine policemen injured. Dozens of Palestinians were also hurt in the riots.

The violent clashes began on Tuesday night at the El-Arish port, after Egyptian authorities rebuffed to permit member of the Viva Palestina international organization to bring all of their aid vehicles into the Gaza Strip.

The delegation attempts to end the siege on Gaza, led by British Parliament Member George Galloway and 17 Turkish parliament members. In response, the activists hurled stones and barricaded themselves, taking four policemen with them.

Some 520 activists belonging to the convoy protested the Egyptian decision at the port in El-Arish. Police used water cannon to separate the protestors. A security source said that around 40 members of the convoy had injuries. 

Different participants in the convoy also told satellite channels on air that the Egyptian attack on them was launched suddenly following a sit-in staged by the convoy at the port terminal in protest at the Egyptian rejection to allow more than 50 aid cars into Gaza.

For his part, Ali Abu Sukkar, a member of the convoy, pointed out that the Egyptian authorities refused unjustifiably to allow into Gaza the most important aid vehicles which are loaded with medicines and medical equipment, adding the policemen deliberately damaged several cars of the convoy, which reflected the level of hatred and insistence on not helping Gaza people.

While Egypt allows "Israelis" to enter Alexandria to visit the tomb of a Rabbi, it prevents aid convoys to pass from its territories to starving Gaza.