Almanar
07/01/2010 Egypt warned Hamas on Wednesday night that there was a limit to its patience 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 violent 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 riots began on Tuesday night at the El-Arish port, after Egyptian authorities refused to allow member of the Viva Palestina international organization to bring all of their aid vehicles into the Gaza Strip.
The delegation included international activists calling for an end to the blockade 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 broke down the gate at the port in El-Arish to protest the Egyptian decision. Police used water cannon to force the protestors to leave Arish harbor, which they had occupied, a security source said. 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 carried out unexpectedly following a sit-in staged by the convoy at the port terminal in protest at the Egyptian refusal to allow more than 50 aid cars into Gaza.
For his part, Ali Abu Sukkar, a member of the convoy, noted 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.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman added that the Egyptian authorities have announced they plan to ease the convoy's movement and have informed the Turks, who are part of the delegation. He claimed, however, that Egypt was surprised by 43 cars "lacking any human character, which were not carrying any aid goods and which were not reported to the authorities."
The Egyptian declaration also stated that many of those who took part in the delegation exposed, unfortunately, the extent of blind hostility towards the Egyptian people, in spite of all the help given to the delegation.
"Egypt's security forces acted with restraint in response to the aggressiveness of those who evoked the acts of violence and whose actions border on crimes," the Foreign Ministry statement concluded.
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian
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