Region | Palestinian Territories

Hamas rejects Abbas control of Egypt-Gaza border

Hamas rejects handing over control of the Gaza border to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 14:11 January 27, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: AP
  • Egyptian forces on Sunday blocked Gazans from driving beyond the town of Rafah.
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Gaza Strip: Hamas on Sunday rejected handing over control of the Gaza border to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's government.

Hamas said it was holding its own talks with Cairo.

"We have our own vision of how the crossing will be run and we will present our vision to our Egyptian brothers," said Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al Maliki said in Cairo that Egypt has agreed to Abbas's plan to assume control of the crossing with Egypt.

Gaza's border with Egypt remained opened although Egyptian forces blocked Gazans from driving beyond the border town of Rafah.

Egyptian riot police stepped up their checkpoints to prevent Palestinians from leaving Rafah, stopping cars and checking people's identification cards.

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Thousands of Palestinians continued to wander through the Egyptian side of the divided town, though most stores remained closed.

Egypt has been under US and Israeli pressure to secure the border, following terrorism fears, but is reluctant to be seen as supporting the Israeli blockade.

Hamas fighters first breached the border last week following an Israeli blockade of Gaza that caused supply of food and fuel to run low in the territory.

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