Region | Palestinian Territories
Egypt pledges to seal Gaza border
Egypt says it expects the flood of Palestinians into the country to slow by Thursday.
- Agencies
- Published: 09:38 January 24, 2008
Washington: Egypt has assured the US that it will soon close off it's border with the Gaza strip to prevent Palestinians from desperately trying to enter the country to access goods they can't afford or gain access to in their closed-off territory, said Arab and US officials.
Washington has expressed its concern over the high number of Palestinians pouring into Egypt from the impoverished seaside territory controlled by Hamas militants.
The US has refrained from criticizing Egypt's response to the influx of Palestinians or Israel's role in sealing its much larger borders with Gaza.
It is estimated that around 50,000 people had crossed through breaches in border barrier by late Wednesday afternoon.
Egypt expects the exodus to end by midday Thursday and has pledged to rebuild a border barrier smashed by Hamas militants.
Deteriorating conditions in Gaza have complicated new U.S.-backed peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, although US officials said Wednesday there was no sign that the outlook of the talks had been worsened.
Israel has come under international criticism for sealing off Gaza as a pressure tactic to curb Hamas militants who occupied the region in June.
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