Egypt sealing parts of border with Gaza
Pastor Dale Morgan
Egypt sealing parts of border with Gaza*
* Story Highlights
* Egyptian security forces roll barbed wire along their country's
border with Gaza
* Action comes two days after Palestinians blasted through walls at
Rafah crossing
* Breach enabled tens of thousands to stream into Egypt to obtain
supplies
* Israel sealed its border with Gaza one week ago in an effort to
quell rocket attacks
From Kevin Flower and Ben Wedeman
RAFAH, Gaza (CNN) -- Egyptian soldiers in riot gear formed a human chain
Friday along parts of their county's border with Gaza, where tens of
thousands of Palestinians have crossed back and forth with little
interference for the last two days.
Palestinians transport goods they bought in Egypt back into Gaza, after
they crossed the Rafah border.
Other soldiers rolled barbed wire along parts of the border.
They acted two days after Palestinians blasted through concrete and
metal walls at the Rafah border crossing, allowing tens of thousands of
Palestinians to stream into Egypt to obtain supplies.
Palestinians in Gaza have faced difficulty obtaining supplies since
Israel sealed its border with Gaza one week ago in an effort to quell
rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.
Despite the movement of Egyptian soldiers toward the border with Gaza on
Friday, witnesses said, as many or more Palestinians were at the border
Friday morning than have been there Wednesday and Thursday.
It was not immediately clear whether Egypt intends to seal the border or
merely regulate the flow.
The United States and Israel have pressurized Egypt to close the open
border areas, worried that extremists could travel undetected from Egypt
into the Palestinian territory.
Also on Friday, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza killed four militants,
Israeli and Palestinian sources said.
The attacks killed Hamas militants who were preparing a terrorist attack
in Israel, Israel Defense Forces said.
One of the militants had coordinated rocket fire from Gaza to Israel,
the Israeli military said.
The first strike hit a Jeep in southern Gaza, killing two people who
belonged to the militant wing of Hamas, Palestinian security sources said.
A second strike killed two more members, they said. Both strikes
happened near Gaza's border with Egypt.