Israel Matzav: Will the UN condemn this 'security fence'?

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Will the UN condemn this 'security fence'?

Egyptian President Abdel Fateh al-Sisi has finally had it with Hamas attacks on his territory. So he's doing what all good neighbors do: He's building a fence.

In the wake of Friday’s attack in northern Sinai, which killed 33 Egyptian soldiers, Cairo has raised the idea of a building an eight-mile barrier along its border with Gaza to deter Islamist terrorists from moving in and out of the Palestinian territory.

“There is a big conspiracy against us,” Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said in a live, televised address Saturday, in which he blamed “foreign powers” for the atrocity and said Egypt is locked in an “existential war”.

Egypt, which has declared a three-month state of emergency in northern Sinai, also cancelled its planned role as mediator between Israel and Hamas in talks aimed at maintaining a ceasefire that has held since the end of the summer conflict.

Friday’s sophisticated terrorist attack - which Egyptian authorities have indicated likely came from Gaza - was launched on Egyptian troops with devastating effect. Old tunnels that had yet to be destroyed by Egyptian forces or newly-dug tunnels that had not been detected were likely used in the attack that combined the use of a suicide bomber on one hand, with rocket propelled grenades and roadside bombs on the other.

Egypt has also closed its borders with Gaza. Will anyone care about this 'blockade'? Will countries like Norway and Turkey send ferries to run Egypt's 'blockade' and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza?

Following Friday’s attack, the Rafah crossing between southern Gaza and Egypt was closed immediately and will reportedly remain closed indefinitely. Hamas leaders have reportedly stated that Gaza will “explode” if the Rafah crossing is not re-opened quickly.

While the southern crossing into Egypt is closed, other border crossings with Israel remain open. Humanitarian and trade supplies are being delivered by Israel to the more than 1.8 million residents of Gaza whose Hamas government fought a 50-day war against them this summer. The war cost the lives of a reported 2,000 Gazans, according to Hamas government figures, and 70 Israelis. Recent independent analysis of the Gazan dead suggests that as many as half were terrorist combatants.

By the way, that article is Fox News - not Arutz Sheva.

But here's one from Arutz Sheva, which reports that Egypt plans to expel anyone who lives within 500 meters of the border to prevent tunnels from being dug under their homes.

Egyptian military sources revealed details on the plan to the Palestinian Arab Ma'an News Agency on Tuesday, divulging that all homes and farmland up to a depth of 500 meters (over 1,640 feet) into Gaza from the Sinai border will be seized and evacuated, other than Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid.

The expulsion will take place to that depth all along the 13 kilometer (over eight mile) border. Additionally, a channel with a depth and width of 20 meters (over 65 feet) will be dug along the Gaza border.

The military source added that residents faced with evacuation are being offered compensation for abandoning their homes, and around 200 families have already accepted the financial package to vacate.

There are still 680 more families in the area faced with impending expulsion.

Egypt's buffer zone plans are expected to be completed by the end of the year....

Here's betting that the United Nations, the US State Department and the European Union will all have nothing to say about this. After all, what difference does it make?

Labels: Egypt, Gaza expulsion, Gaza security fence, Hamas, Palestinian terrorism, Rafah, Sinai