Hamas thwarts Egypt’s bid to block cars from Gaza
Hamas militants on Friday hauled away metal spikes that Egyptian soldiers had placed along sections of the Gaza-Egypt border, defying attempts to block movement of vehicles carrying blockade-weary residents of the Gaza Strip.
Ever since the border fence was toppled Jan. 23 with a series of explosions, Hamas militants have thwarted several attempts by Egypt to reseal the frontier. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have rushed into Egypt, shopping and visiting relatives, but most have returned to Gaza.
On Friday, about 600 Hamas supporters rallied about 100 yards from the nearest Egyptian border post. One banner read: “Egypt and Palestine are one people, not two.”
Some protesters jumped over metal barriers into Egypt, raising Hamas flags there. Dozens of Egyptian border guards watched but did not intervene.
Hamas militants dragged away metal spikes that had been placed at the main breach in the 7-mile border earlier in the day by Egyptian soldiers to block vehicles. The soldiers continued to allow pedestrians to cross freely.
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