Palestinians In Gaza Hope New Leadership In Egypt Will End Their Isolation

By Saleh Jadallah GAZA STRIP, Sept 7 (Bernama) -- Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip hope the new leadership in neighbouring Egypt will end their isolation, long imposed by the ousted Mubarak regime, from the outside world. Being optimistic about the results of the Egyptian uprising, Gazans flooded the streets to celebrate the victory of Muslim Brotherhood–backed Mohammed Morsi in the presidential race in Egypt. They now wait for facilities to be offered by Egypt, including opening the Rafah border crossing permanently, supplying the strip with fuel and power, and ending the rift between the rival factions - Hamas and Fatah. Many Palestinians had accused former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, who was toppled by a popular revolution in 2011, of cooperating with Israel in intensifying its blockade on the Gaza Strip. Most of Gaza's residents travel from and into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, Gaza's only window to the world. The passage was almost completely closed during Mubarak’s rule. Now, the crossing witnesses a good-passage movement, allowing about 1,500 passengers to leave the Gaza Strip each day, a move Palestinians hope will be improved until the Egyptian authorities open the crossing 24 hours a day. The Gaza Strip, which is spread over 365 square kilometres, is surrounded by four main crossings under Israel's control, except for the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which is controlled by Egypt and the Hamas government on both sides. The coastal territory had an airport in the past but it was totally destroyed by Israel after the second Intifada erupted in 2000. In July, Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Hanyieh, met Morsi in Cairo, and Morsi promised his ally to lift the blockade, extend the working hours at the Rafah crossing, and improve the humanitarian situation in the narrow enclave. Israel imposed a tight closure on the Gaza Strip in 2007, claiming it aimed to prevent arms from reaching Hamas, an armed group that seized Gaza from its rival Western-backed Fatah. Mohammed Safi, a Gazan medical student who studies at a university in Cairo, wishes for improved conditions at the Rafah crossing to ease his movement from and into Gaza. The student, who is spending his vacation in Gaza, said the ousted regime used to restrict his movement and he could not see his family and friends for a long time. "After years of suffering under the Mubarak regime, President Morsi needs to tear that dark page of oppression and open a new page with the people of Gaza" Safi told Bernama. "We have the right to travel without restrictions," he added. Hamas tries to use the new change in Egypt as a deterrent power against the Israeli escalation in Gaza. In the wake of Israeli attacks in the past two days, in which six Palestinians were killed by the Israeli forces, Hamas regards the escalation as a blow for Morsi's stance toward Palestinians. "The Israeli escalation is dangerous, unjustified, and a new crime added to the crimes of the Israeli occupation. It also targets the attitude of the new Egyptian president which protects Gaza and the Palestinian cause," said Fawzi Barhoom, a spokesman for Hamas. Hamas Ministry of Economy said they had prepared a plan for establishing a duty-free zone at the border between Gaza and Egypt. The ministry also pointed out that the land authorities had allocated 200 acres near the Rafah border with Egypt for it. "A duty-free zone will play an important role in lifting the blockade on Gaza, encouraging mercantile exchange and strengthening the political unity with Egypt as well as the Arab and Muslim world," said Ala Al-Rafati, Hamas Minister of Economy. Rafati said a special delegation would travel to Egypt to discuss the proposal with the concerned authorities. While speaking to his ministers at the first meeting of the new cabinet, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Hanyieh called on the Egyptian authorities to implement the proposition of the trade area. "I ask the Ministry of Interior to reinforce the security at the Palestinian-Egyptian border and I call on Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to give orders to the concerned authorities in his government to accelerate the procedures for establishing the duty-free zone," he had said. Palestinian activist Youssef Al-Jamal said Egypt had to play a key role in ending the suffering and isolation of the Gaza people, referring to the historical and geographical connections between the two peoples. "The new leadership in Egypt should take a firm stand to end the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Establishing a free trade zone and allowing fuel and cement in will help the poor people in Gaza," Al-Jamal told Bernama. The United Nations have reported that 40 per cent of Gazans live below the poverty line while 80 per cent of them rely on aid distributed by charitable organisations. -- BERNAMA