EU Expresses "Deep Concern" Over Gaza Border Chaos - AFP

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BRUSSELS (AFP)--European Union foreign ministers Monday expressed deep concern about the chaos on the Gaza Strip border with Egypt and unveiled a new plan for getting aid to the Palestinians.

"The council is deeply concerned about recent events in Gaza and the grave disturbances at the border between Gaza and Egypt," the ministers said in a statement released during their meeting in Brussels.

Several hundred thousand Palestinians have swarmed into Egypt since militants blew up the Rafah border barricades six days ago, after a punishing Israeli lockdown of the Hamas-run territory cut vital fuel and aid supplies.

Shops in Rafah were running out of stocks after Egypt on Sunday began preventing trucks coming from Cairo to border towns, where authorities have imposed a security cordon to prevent Palestinians traveling further afield.

NASDAQ

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1. 'EU considering returning its inspectors to Rafah crossing'

The European Union would consider returning its inspectors to Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, but only if Hamas could guarantee their safety, Israel Radio quoted a Reuters report as saying Monday.

The spokesperson for the European Union inspectors, however, said that there was no change in the European stance. They would return to Rafah only if the Palestinian Authority regained control of the crossing, she said.

The inspectors left Rafah during Hamas's violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1201523777157&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Border instability is a concern. Starvation inside the strip was hunky dory. nt

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3. Hey, you are seeing the end of the blockade.

And the end of the boycott of Hamas.
What's not to like?

[ProgressiveMuslim]

5. True that. But the defeaning silence of the preceding months has

left a bad taste in my mouth.

[Vegasaurus]

4. They couldn't have been starving

TVs and refrigerators and cows and camels all came back into the strip. Money for that came from somewhere, but I thought the Gazans were starving and had 85% unemployment and no money.