August 30, 2007, 10:19 AM (GMT+02:00): Hamas plans to use 100,000 protesters against the hardships in Gaza, which are blamed on Egypt’s closure of the Rafah outlet, as a battering ram to break through the crossing Saturday and link up with fellow Palestinians in Egyptian N. Sinai. Hamas will then seize both sides of the border including a part of Sinai. Cairo has cautioned Gaza’s Hamas rulers that beefed-up Egyptian units are under orders to shoot the first Palestinian trespasser crossing through.Egypt, which closed the Rafah gateway after the Hamas takeover of Gaza two months ago, has set up a two-line deployment between Rafah and El Arish to halt the Palestinian influx. Some units are armed with gear for crowd dispersal.
The US National Guard unit manning the Multinational Force Organization’s Al Gorah headquarters in el Arish has declared a high alert and pulled in reinforcements from Sharm el-Sheikh after receiving intelligence of a plan to attack them under cover of the Gaza demonstration. Their commander was warned by Egyptian officials that “events highly dangerous to the region are expected Saturday.” Israel has also built up strength at the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza and Egypt opposite the Philadelphi border strip.
The US National Guard unit manning the Multinational Force Organization’s Al Gorah headquarters in el Arish has declared a high alert and pulled in reinforcements from Sharm el-Sheikh after receiving intelligence of a plan to attack them under cover of the Gaza demonstration. Their commander was warned by Egyptian officials that “events highly dangerous to the region are expected Saturday.” Israel has also built up strength at the Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza and Egypt opposite the Philadelphi border strip.
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