Egypt Says Border to ‘Return to Normal’

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RAFAH, Gaza Strip, 25 January 2008 — Egyptian border guards steered huge crowds of Palestinians as they streamed from Gaza to Egypt across a breached border for a second day yesterday, but did not try to halt the flow.

Still, Egyptian officials said the border would eventually “return to normal,” and Egyptian police prevented Gazans from moving deeper into Egypt.

Some Palestinian travelers in the Egyptian town of El Arish, about 30 km from the border, said they were told by local police they should start making their way back if they had no urgent business in the city, signaling that the resealing of the border was getting under way.

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Hamas Popularity on Upswing

The border breach has boosted the popularity of Gaza’s Hamas rulers, who in recent months had struggled to rule because of border closures.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=106076&d=25&m=1&y=2008