Egypt may join Arab intervention in Syria
Khaled Meshaal the head of the political bureau of the "Hamas" movement lauds the Syrian people's uprising. welcomed what he called a "revolution" of the Syrian people who are seeking freedom and dignity, " praising the role of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Syria," which shall not be forgeten.
Palestinians protest closure of Gaza lifeline tunnels
Tunnel owners told the Ma’an News Agency Friday that just 10 percent of the network is still in operation.
Hamas leaders, local officials and residents waved Egyptian and Palestinian flags and called on Egypt to protect the entry of goods into Gaza.
The Gaza Strip is under an Israeli land and sea blockade, aided by Egypt’s frequent closures of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
To circumvent the blockade, Palestinians built a network of more than 1,000 tunnels, breathing life into a floundering economy.
An August 5 militant attack on Egyptian policemen in the Sinai peninsula, which killed 16, prompted the government to close most of Gaza's nearly 1,000 tunnels. Authorities said they suspected the militants had been sneaking into Egypt from Gaza via the tunnels, which they had previously turned a blind eye to.
Tunnel owners said the Egyptian and Palestinian authorities have started exerting their power to insist on knowing who and what is passing through.
Gaza’s ministry of national economy said monthly imports of basic foodstuffs had fallen by 31 percent, and construction materials had declined by 45 percent since the tunnel closures.
Hamas official Yousef Farahat told reporters at Sunday’s demonstration that the tunnels were “the lifeblood” of the Gaza Strip. He urged the Egyptian government, led by Islamist president Mohammed Mursi, to take practical steps to help Gaza’s besieged economy.
“Don’t force us to lose hope in the Egyptian revolution and in the new regime,” he said.
Hamas wants to reduce its dependence on Israel’s blockade policies by increasing economic links with Egypt.
(Ma’an, Al-Akhbar)
No comments:
Post a Comment