PALIS KILL EGYPTIANS ON GAZA BORDER

YESTERDAY (SEE BELOW) PALESTINIANS USED A BULLDOZER TO DESTROY PART OF THE BORDER STRUCTURE SEPARATING GAZA AND EGYPT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PALESTINIANS OPENED FIRE...

Fatah Gunmen Kill Two Egyptian Soldiers, Wound 30 on Gaza Border - Khaled Abu Toameh
Two Egyptian border guards were killed and at least 30 wounded when scores of Fatah gunmen opened fire at Egyptian army posts after demolishing parts of the concrete slabs along the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, enabling many Palestinians to cross into Egypt. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen used a bulldozer and explosives to create a hole in the wall. The gunmen were protesting the arrest of Ala al-Hams, a senior commander of Fatah's armed wing in southern Gaza, by PA security forces on charges of kidnapping three British nationals last week.

Egyptian Gen. Essam el-Sheikh, the chief of security forces in the northern Sinai, said the Palestinians were firing automatic weapons and shotguns, and that Egyptian troops were forced to pull back one kilometer from the border. Brig. Adel Fawzi said the Egyptian troops were hampered initially because they had no orders to shoot. El-Sheikh, however, said Egyptian forces now were firing back.

SEE ALSO: Egypt charges 60 Gazans in Rafah riots
Calm was restored to the Egypt-Gaza crossing Thursday, a day after Palestinian gunmen broke through the border wall with tractors, killed two Egyptian troops, and enabled hundreds of civilians to stream across. More than 60 Palestinians have been arrested and charged with illegal entry, Egyptian security officials said Thursday. It was not disclosed whether some of them were suspected of being involved in Wednesday's violence.

The Palestinian Authority deployed about 300 police officers at the Rafah border point late Wednesday and restored control, Palestinian security officials said Thursday. The Palestinian and Egyptian security officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Egypt had no more than the usual security presence at the crossing Thursday but, a short distance away, 20 police vehicles were parked in the main street of Rafah city, ready to be deployed.

Two of the 30 Egyptian border troops who were wounded Wednesday have been flown to Cairo for treatment as their injuries are severe, officials at Cairo airport said Thursday. Egypt "strongly condemned" the actions of "an irresponsible group of Palestinians" at Rafah crossing on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The statement appealed to the Palestinian Authority to ensure there was no reoccurrence, and thanked the Palestinian police for taking steps to restore order at the crossing. The ministry said the riot constituted "unwarranted and unprecedented violence" that not only harmed the Palestinians, but also "weakened efforts to support the Palestinian people in their efforts to establish an independent state."

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. THE FACT THAT PALESTINIANS CRASHED THROUGH A BORDER INTO EGYPTIAN TERRITORY AND SHOT AT EGYPTIANS CAUSES EGYPT TO WEAKEN THEIR SUPPORT FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE???!!! BUT ISRAEL IS SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT SUCH A STATE WHEN PALESTINIANS ENTER ISRAEL (OR LOB ROCKETS INTO ISRAEL) WITH THE INTENT OF KILLING ISRAELIS?