Celebration mixed with tragedy on the first day of Palestinian control of Gaza, as thousands swarmed through abandoned Jewish settlements while others scaled the walls between Gaza and Egypt in both directions, raising Israeli concerns about whether Palestinian and Egyptian security can control the territory and its border.
Uncontrolled elation led to excesses on Monday, drawing criticism from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Four people drowned in the Mediterranean after Palestinians flocked to the long-forbidden beach. Another Palestinian died during gunfire at the sensitive Egypt-Gaza border, where all semblance of order broke down.
Concerned about the potential for weapons smuggling, Israel initially hesitated to leave the Gaza-Egypt border as part of the pullout. It agreed only after the Egyptian government promised to deploy 750 troops on the frontier to stop the smuggling.
PHOTO: EPA
But the border turned to chaos just hours after the Israelis withdrew early on Monday. Hundreds of Palestinians climbed over -- or went around -- the towering border wall on the Gaza side and then jumped over the low wall on the Egyptian side. Hooded Palestinian gunmen stood atop the Palestinian wall.
Guards later shot and killed one Palestinian when dozens of teens tried to climb over the border, Palestinian security officials said.
Raising a flag at the Rafah border crossing, Abbas scolded his celebrating people.
"It is absolutely unacceptable for the border to be stormed," Abbas said. "We must resolve this problem in a civilized manner."
Important issues lie ahead for both sides, including a decision over who will control the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt and whether Gaza will be allowed to open a seaport and airport, providing it unfettered links to the outside world. Israel retains control of Gaza's airspace and coastal waters.
On Monday, the Israeli regional army commander, Major General Dan Harel, signed an order canceling Israeli military rule in Gaza.
Control of the border was seen as a first test for the Palestinian Authority's rule over Gaza and Egypt's ability to control the border. Several trucks filled with armed Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen patrolled the border road on Monday. Few Palestinian police could be seen.
Though some Egyptian soldiers warned the Palestinians to stay on their side of the wall, many smiled and shook hands with teenagers who climbed over. One Gazan unsuccessfully tried to buy an Egyptian soldier's rifle.
There was some traffic in the other direction as well, as Egyptians climbed into Gaza. Many of those climbing over the border were boys smuggling cartons of cigarettes into Gaza.
Egyptian border guards said they were letting the Palestinians blow off steam and visit relatives on the Egyptian side that they have not seen in years.
But they said that they would tighten security in the coming days.
Israel expressed its concern to the Egyptians, according to an Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Egypt has to prevent weapons smuggling at the Philadelphi corridor," Israeli lawmaker Ephraim Sneh told Israel Radio on Tuesday. "This is their test and this is how they will be judged. We didn't bring them there for anything else."
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of