European Union official sources told Reuters on Monday that the Union is studying the possibility of redeploying EU observers on Rafah terminal.
In 2005 the Rafah crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, the only way for Palestinians in or out of the Gaza strip, was handed over by Israeli to be operated by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas security forces with EU observers monitoring the operation. In June 2007 following the infighting between Hamas and Fatah which resulted in Hamas taking power from Fatah in the Gaza Strip, the European observers left the terminal after Israel decided to close the Egyptian-Plestinian terminal.
On Monday the EU sources stated that if Hamas guarantees the safety of the EU observers the Union will send observers to all Gaza crossing including Rafah. Israel controls all the crossings leading in or out of the Palestinian coastal region expect Rafah one.
Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmad Abu Elgheit said Sunday that Cairo will take the necessary measures to police the movement of Palestinians at its borders with Gaza. For the past five days floods of Gazans fluked into the Egyptian territories, following knocking down of the fence-off iron wall. This move came after Israeli totally sealed Gaza two weeks ago and did not allow fuel supplies into the coastal region.
On Monday Palestinian security forces of Hamas and Egyptian troops started to close the Rafah borders for civilian cars allowing trucks only to shuttle through the borders. On Sunday, Foreign Ministers of the Arab league issued a statement reiterating the need to run the Rafah crossing based on the 2005 agreement in order to end the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, does not want to be seen as aiding the Israeli siege. However, it came under sever pressure from Israeli and the US officials who went as far as the US congress freezing aid money to Egypt for allowing the Palestinians to enter Egypt for shopping.
The Israeli government stated Monday that it will not tolerate any kind of threat that couod result from the breach of the wall. Israel claims it fears that Palestinian resistance fighters will infiltrate the borders to attack Israel.
Commenting on the Abbas’ forces taking over the Rafah crossing, Israeli government security officials said today that Abbas forces are still not ready for such responsibility.
