Egypt Cuts Supplies to Gazans

Egypt moves to re-seal border after run on supplies
By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 28, 2008 4:07 AM CST
Egypt Cuts Supplies to Gazans
A family walks in pouring rain at the border crossing with Egypt, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday Jan. 27, 2008. Egyptian forces moved to close their breached border with the Gaza Strip by stopping vehicle traffic Sunday and further tightening their security cordon around the small frontier town...   (Associated Press)

Thousands of Palestinians streamed back into Gaza yesterday as Egypt cut supplies to the area and attempted again to re-seal the border blasted open by Hamas militants a week ago. Merchants struggled to restock their stores and Palestinians found skyrocketing prices for what supplies were available. Egypt is anxious to stem the tide of undocumented Palestinians over the border without being seen as aiding the Israeli blockade that brought it on, Reuters reports.

"We wanted to buy food. We could not find anything," said one teenager. "We won't come back because all the products are finished." One Hamas official warned that the next step would be to to break open a border crossing with Israel. International leaders have warned of a humanitarian crisis if Gaza residents are denied access to food. (More Gaza stories.)

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