Palestinian Police Storm Gaza-Egypt Border

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Palestinian police angry over growing lawlessness in the Gaza Strip stormed the Gaza-Egypt border crossing Friday, shutting down the border and forcing European monitors to flee, Palestinian and European officials said.

About 100 policemen entered the Rafah compound and took up positions alongside border patrol officers at the customs section of the crossing, Palestinian security officials and witnesses said.

The European observers – responsible for monitoring the crossing and ensuring the terms of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement are upheld – fled the area, fearing the situation was getting out of control, the officials said.

The police are angry over the killing of an officer Thursday in a family feud in Gaza. They said that because they have received no orders from their officers on how to deal with the situation they are taking matters into their own hands, the witnesses said.

The chief Palestinian security officer at the crossing asked the policemen to leave but they refused.

The border was closed because according to the Israeli-Palestinian agreement the crossing cannot operate if the European contingent is not present, said Julio De La Guardia, spokesman for the European monitors.

“Our monitors are now in the Kerem Shalom military base. When the situation is clear, and these people leave, we will go back to our work,” De La Guardia said. Kerem Shalom is an Israeli military base on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza.