Palestinian sources reported that at least eight Palestinians including 3 policemen were injured when the Palestinian border police opened fire to prevent hundreds of Rafah residents to cross the borders to Egypt, Palestinian sources said on Saturday.
One of the injured is in critical condition while the rest suffer minor injuries.ÂÂ
Hundreds of residents rushed in the morning to Salah Eddin junction, what was known as the Philadelphi area, and attempted to enter the Egyptian territories. After the Palestinian police failed to stop them, they opened fire which caused the residents to clash with the police, the source said.
The source also said that thousands of Palestinians from Rafah have crossed to the Egyptian side of the border in the past few days.
The Palestinian security forces declared later on Saturday that it assumed control along border line with Egypt, but deploying at least 1000 security officers to guard the borders and prevent people to sneak in or out of the strip and to prevent weapon smugglers and drug dealers to operate in the area.
Some reported said that large amounts of marijuana and other drugs were smuggled into the Gaza Strip immediately after the completion of the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip.
