Gaza jailbreak

Posted by Joe on: 01.24.2008 /

Gazan Palestinians took actions into their own hands yesterday as militants blew 17 holes in the fence between Gaza and Egypt, perhaps the only useful thing that has ever been done with their explosives. Tens of thousands swarmed into Egypt to purchase essentials, visit relatives and experience freedom.

The day before, attempts to force entry via the official Rafah crossing were rebuffed by Egyptian police wearing riot gear and water cannon. A there are agreements in place, presumably nobody could actually cross the Rafah Gate, but when the walls came down, the Egyptian police stood back and watched the whole area turn into an impromptu bazaar. Israel and the USA immediately threw all their toys out of the pram, having lost their only bargaining chip and there is uncertainty about how long the situation will continue.

But for today, the pictures are only of people power regaining an element of relative freedom and sanity to their broken lives.