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Monday, January 28, 2008       Free Headline Alerts

Egypt struggling to contain Palestinians crossing border into Sinai

CAIRO — Egyptian troops have been clashing with Palestinians to prevent them from crossing into the Sinai Peninsula.

About 40 Egyptian officers were reported to have been injured since the Hamas regime blew up sections of the 12-kilometer Sinai-Gaza border wall on Jan. 23. Palestinians hurled rocks at the officers as Egyptian authorities responded with water cannons, electric pods and truncheons, Middle East Newsline reported.

"The Palestinian brothers should be aware that the Egyptian willingness to host them and make their lives easier cannot extend to threatening the lives of Egyptian forces," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Al Gheit said on Saturday.

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Officials said Egypt has closed most of the breaches in the Sinai-Gaza border wall. They said 4,000 Egyptian troops and 12 armored personnel carriers were sent to eastern Sinai to prevent the flow of Palestinians into the peninsula.

About 700,000 Palestinians, or half of the population of the Gaza Strip, were reported to have entered Sinai. At times, Egyptian troops were seen firing into the air in an attempt to restore order.

So far, officials said, Egyptian forces have been ordered not to use lethal means against the Palestinians. They said several of the injured officers, including two senior commanders, were in critical condition.

"There have been injuries, including 10 to 12 central security forces, 26 border guards and two high-ranking officers," the foreign minister said. "Some of those being treated in hospital are in critical condition."

Officials said Egypt has sought to stop Palestinians from the Gaza Strip from crossing Sinai to the African mainland. They said scores of Palestinians have already been arrested in central Egypt.

Palestinians also clashed with Egyptian forces in several areas of the divided city of Rafah. In some cases, the Palestinians were angered by the lack of fuel and other supplies.

"There is an Egyptian desire to control the border and to control the flow of Palestinians in and out of the Gaza Strip," Abu Al Gheit said. "There is also a desire to restore the arrangements which existed on the border."

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