Egyptian and Hamas forces closed the Gaza border yesterday after reportedly agreeing to control the frontier blown open by militants 11 days ago in a bid to break a crippling Israeli blockade.
Metal barriers and rolls of barbed wire were erected across all gaps in the border at the divided town of Rafah, again sealing off Gaza after nearly half the impoverished territory's 1.5 million population flooded into Egypt.
"No more Palestinians are being allowed in," an Egyptian security source said.
One gate remained open to allow Palestinians and Egyptians to return home, but otherwise no pedestrians or vehicles were being allowed to cross, correspondents witnessed.
Dozens of armed and helmeted Hamas men wielded batons at crowds gathered at the border.
"Everyone needs to leave immediately! If you're not Egyptian, you've got to leave now!" the Hamas men yelled in a bid to relieve the crowds near the barrier.
On the Egyptian side of Rafah, security forces briefly detained a reporter and photographer, saying journalists were no longer allowed to take pictures of the border.
The Egyptian side was almost entirely deserted, with cars banned around the frontier and in Rafah's town center unless they were headed home, a correspondent said.
People continued to go home from both sides of the border, with a line of horse and donkey-drawn carts laden with household goods waiting to cross into Gaza at Brazil Gate.
The border breakout on Jan. 23 launched a sprawl of chaos and commerce, with hundreds of thousands of people streaming across with crates of goods, herds of animals, and plastic jugs of diesel fuel or to visit relatives.
The border was breached in a bid to break a tightened Israeli stranglehold on the territory imposed in retaliation for militant rocket fire on Israel.
A spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry in Gaza, Ihad Hussein, said that the closure "will last until we have a new agreement to open the Rafah crossing."
But after tasting the first unfettered access into Egypt in years, hundreds of Palestinians refused to leave the frontier.
"I just wanted to go and buy a few more thing for the house," said Nail Agha, 29. "There is no work here. If it stays closed, I'm just going to have to sit around."
The move to reseal the chaotic border -- the only crossing that bypasses Israel -- came after senior hardline Hamas leader Mahmud Zahar announced on Saturday that the Islamists had agreed with Egypt on restoring order.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned