GAZA: HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIANS WAIT FOR DAYS FOR THE ISRAELI'S TO OPEN THE ISRAELI CONTROLLED GAZA BORDER CROSSING WITH EGYPT

Record ID: 400820

  • Title: GAZA: HUNDREDS OF PALESTINIANS WAIT FOR DAYS FOR THE ISRAELI'S TO OPEN THE ISRAELI CONTROLLED GAZA BORDER CROSSING WITH EGYPT
  • Date: 17th June 2001
  • Summary: (U3)RAFAH, GAZA (JUNE 17, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS PALESTINIAN TAXIS FULL OF PASSENGERS AND LUGGAGE AT BORDER (3 SHOTS) 0.15 2. VARIOUS, ISRAELI FLAGS AT CROSSING POINT / PULL OUT TO WIDE VIEW OF BORDER CROSSING (2 SHOTS) 0.27 3. VARIOUS TAXIS MOVING SLOWLY THROUGH BORDER CROSSING (2 SHOTS) 0.45 4. WIDE OF PALESTINI
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RAFAH, GAZA
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA4E3XCBCPURU406ZZAZ55FPT8B
  • Story Text: For the last few days, hundreds of Palestinian
    passengers have been waiting for long periods of time,
    sweltering in the heat, to cross through the border between
    the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has said a fragile
    ceasefire would not last unless Israel took steps to lift its
    blockade of Palestinian territories.



    Under peace deals, Israel controls a slice of land
    between Palestinian-ruled Rafah and Egypt, and during the
    nine-month uprising it has often shut the border crossing for
    security reasons.

    Palestinians say that movement over the border is very
    slow despite Israel's statement that it opened Rafah crossing
    as part of steps to implement a truce with the Palestinians
    brokered by United States CIA director George Tenet.

    Palestinian women, men and children have spent days
    waiting at the border to cross into Egypt as the gate opened
    only once every few hours. Scenes of buses and taxis jostling
    for positions behind the gate have become common-place.

    Since the start of the Palestinian uprising against
    Israeli occupation in late September, the gate at Rafah has
    been like a weathervane in a storm, its movements depending on
    which way the wind was blowing in the violent conflict.

    Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said on Monday (June
    18) the ceasefire would not last unless Israel took steps to
    lift its blockades and froze settlement building.

    In a strongly worded statement, Arafat told a meeting of
    nine Arab foreign ministers in Amman that the "war-crazed"
    Israeli government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was not
    serious about resuming peace talks.

    He said Israel must freeze the building of Jewish
    settlements, halt its "aggression" against Palestinians, lift
    its military and economic blockade and resume peace talks.

    The veteran leader said his Palestinian Authority had
    fulfilled its part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which went
    into effect last Wednesday (June 13).

    Arafat said the situation in the Palestinian territories
    had even deteriorated since the truce went into effect.

    At least 458 Palestinians, 112 Israelis and 13 Israeli
    Arabs have been killed since a Palestinian revolt against
    Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza broke out in late
    September after peace talks stalled.



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