Kerem Shalom, Erez crossings closed following rocket fire at Israel; Egypt speeds up project to create buffer zone on Gaza border after satellite images show hundreds of smuggling tunnels remain.
Roi Kais, Elior Levy, Yoav Zitun, YNET
The Gaza Strip will be completed isolated from the world starting Sunday after Israel decided to close both the Kerem Shalom and Erez border crossings and Egypt has accelerated its plans to create a buffer zone on the Sinai-Gaza border.
According to the Arabic Sky News channel, the evacuation of the border area to create a buffer zone was sped up after satellite images showed hundreds of tunnels remaining in the area, even after an intense Egyptian campaign to eliminate them.
Egypt destroys home on Gaza border to create buffer zone
On the ground, however, the situation is far more complicated and includes, among other things, hasty abandonment of Egyptian Rafah residents, and mounting regional concern of another escalation, a result of further pushing Gaza against the wall.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has been waging a wide-scale campaign against the smuggling tunnels from Gaza and the raging terrorism in the peninsula, told Kuwait media that “the operation has been proceeding in earnest, where most of the underground tunnels have been shut.”
The Sinai-Gaza border (Photo: AFP)
He once again claimed that “the treacherous terrorist operations which we have been witnessing, such as the latest operation that has targeted Karam Al-Kawadis checkpoint, have been backed from abroad,” and that the Egyptian army has already managed to kill several terrorists involved in these attacks.
While the Egyptian army has managed to destroy 1,500 smuggling tunnels, satellite images exposed hundreds of additional tunnels – some in Rafah mosques, bedrooms and shops.
Destruction in Egyptian Rafah as army builds buffer zone (Photo: Reuters)
The establishment of a buffer zone in Rafah – a strip of land 14km long and half a kilometer wide – started following a terrorist attack in Sinai that led to the death of 33 Egyptian soldiers. The army began its work on the buffer zone by quickly evacuating and destroying 800 homes, compensating the residents.
Egyptian Rafah in ruins as the army creates a buffer zone (Photo: AFP)
Egyptian Rafah in ruins as the army creates a buffer zone (Photo: AFP)
This move, however, raised the ire of al-Sisi’s criticis. In Al Jazeera, the move has been dubbed “banishment.” The Qatari TV network affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood quoted residents and activists who claimed this was the “Egyptian equivalent of the Nakba in ’48.”
Egyptian residents evacuate Rafah (Photo: EPA)
Egyptian residents evacuate Rafah (Photo: EPA)
Egyptian state media, on the other hand, focused on the citizen’s understanding of the operation. Al-Aharam newspaper wrote that evacuated residents were “standing by the state after the terrorists made their lives hell.”
Egyptian residents evacuate Rafah (Photo: EPA)
Egyptian residents evacuate Rafah (Photo: EPA)
The rocket fire from Gaza to Israel on Friday is viewed by Israel as the first blatant violation of the ceasefire by Hamas. It led to the decision to close both of the border crossings from Israel to Gaza – Kerem Shalom at the south of the Strip, used to transfer goods, and Erez in the north of the Strip, through which people pass – as a way of pressing Hamas and making it clear to Gazans what is the price of rocket fire.
Flooding in Khan Younis following rainy weather (Photo: Reuters)
Flooding in Khan Younis following rainy weather (Photo: Reuters)
The Israeli move comes at the height of the transfer of goods, donations and construction materials for the rebuilding of the Strip following Operation Protective Edge.
The Israeli crossings are not the only ones closed, the Egyptians have closed the Rafah border crossing as well, which will leave Gaza completely cut off. Hamas has already turned to Egypt demanding to open the Rafah crossing “to prevent a humanitarian disaster.”
Eastern Gaza City in ruins (Photo: Reuters)
Eastern Gaza City in ruins (Photo: Reuters)
At present it remains unclear who was responsible for the rocket fire over the weekend, as Hamas has been efficiently enforcing the ceasefire, preventing rocket fire even by independent factions.
The organization itself is once again conducting experiments inside the Strip, and has launched at least eight rockets, most of them towards the sea, as well as resumed rocket production. It is operating in the midst of a diplomatic void, since the ceasefire talks with Israel have been frozen by Egypt.
honeybee Said:
I hope you are correct for several personal reasons. Improving my grammar is only one of them. 🙂
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Pray that Obama cuts Israel and BB off as completely as he can. As long as BB believes he can keep America and outlast Obama he won’t do anything except rope a dope.
Ironic that our future may depend on the Jew Hater in the WH!!!
While everyone is strying to preserve such a status quo the ans I believe the ans lies in breaking that Gordian Knot and the severing of the umbilical cord with America.
Masters always grow to hate their vassals in time.
yamit82 Said:
No for a Texas Cowgirl !!!!!! Sugar!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ honeybee:
I am a challenge but It’s possible I never met the right English teacher till now.
I remember I was having a problem with algebra in the 7th grade and my teacher miss McGovern asked me to come an hour before school started and she tutored me for over a month . I scored 98 on the regents exam thanks to her. They don’t make teachers like her anymore.
yamit82 Said:
Yawl were shurnuff not thinking about English grammar.
@ honeybee:
Grammar School?? I skipped grammar school? There are some mighty big gaps in my education. That’s why I was always attracted to teachers. 🙂 >>>
@ yamit82:
Plausible idea. I trust… that Netanyahu will do it as soon as he wipes out that brown stain on his face. Nah. he likes it like that.
Now seriously.
It took the Keystone gang 50 days to get to a “cease fire” with Hamas. Do we believe that such ensemble of tweets, cowards, liars, palabra experts and other such fellows can do also Hamas, Hezbollah and the plo?
yamit82 Said:
To whom was this comment addressed !!! Never end a sentence with proposition!!! You should have been more attentive in grammar school, Love !!!!!! >>>
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Alternative: If Israel attacks Iran, the price of oil will triple and the world will explode in Jew hatred.
Israel will be a universal scapegoat and pariah.
Knowing that, Israel may as well totally annihilate Hezbollah and Fatah and Hamas.
You can’t be hated more than the maximum.
@ the phoenix:
May I join?
It is high time to understand than since Oslo, rigid orders and plans were drawn not to ever win any battle let alone war. Soldiers have been send, callously to their death to uphold only the Oslo plans, not to defend the Jews or protect the state. The “rubber bullet” doctrine was enacted with reference to the Islamic partners of the Peresites and as many times said by Barak and others, an iron fist against Jews and Jewish Heritage.
the phoenix Said:
Snake and frog !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
… sad smile…
The scorpion and the frog…
@ bernard ross:
Basically all that Netanyahu does or says is… false.
The speeching specimen is unable to ever be truthful, credible, honest. That is just the way it is.
@ bernard ross:
Unfortunately, the tragic loss of lives is very real…
And all that FOR WHAT?????
MK Shuli Muallem Harassed by Islamists on Temple Mount
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgcuWmSCqWc
they should have spat at those women
@ Felix Quigley:
Felix love, you have returned. Just when I was running out of RED-MEAT. Forgive the pun.
Your favorite man hating feminist.
the phoenix Said:
This should be enough proof by now that the war with gaza is a false war, would the Jews have treated Hitlers baby?
Felix Quigley Said:
Saudi funds Sisis and keeps them afloat. Felix Quigley Said:
Saudi backs SISI and IS. You have come late, I have written of these connections many times before and that I do not buy the current false flag of the sunni monarchies being against IS. Without IS the Saudis, sunnis and the west would have no leverage in Syria and Iraq. IS has made the gains that the Sunni monarchies sought to achieve. The Saudis made a big show of backing off jihadi support a few months before the rise of IS. My view is that they backed off so as to be able to claim no links when IS “arose”. IS is composed of ex army officers and paid jihadi mercenaries, their tactics and targets are militarily well organized.
Felix Quigley Said:
acting agianst hamas but not abbas. Abbas is not liquidating into hamas but attempting, with the support of Egypt, GCC, US, EU to take control of gaza throught the mechanism of the rebuilding and the squeezing of hamas by Israel and egypt. I do not beleive that the goals of the sunni monarchies have changed since a couple of years ago but that their media presentation has changed. In the ME the media has proved unreliable, inaccurate and undependable..eg Jenin massacre, al dura, etc all carried and supported by MSM
calling me names is not an argument but rather an invitation for me to hurl insults
Felix Quigley Said:
Any fan of Chuck Berry knows what will happen there:
And then Mama took me to Grammar school
But I stopped off in the Vestibule
Everytime that bell would ring
You’d catch me playing with my ding-a-ling
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! Good one, Yamit. Jewish wisdom!!
@ the phoenix:
There was a flood, and the the entire town evacuated..except for one pious man who insisted on staying in his home.
“Unlike the rest of you, I have faith in the Almighty. G-d will provide,” he proclaimed.
As the waters rose, the last residents to leave town offered the man a car ride to safety.
He refused by saying, “G-d will provide.”
As rivers now rushed down the street, rescuers offered the man a boat ride to safety.
Yet again, he refused.
“G-d will provide.”
Finally, the man found himself standing on his roof with his head barely above water. A rescuer in a helicopter lowered a rope ladder, but still the man refused to be saved, declaring one final time, “G-d will provide.”
After he drowned, the man was brought before the Lord.
Indignantly, he demanded to know how a pious man such as himself was allowed to die when so many people who were filled with iniquity survived.
“WHY!”, the man demanded of the Lord. “WHY DID YOU NOT PROVIDE?”
The Lord responded to the pious man: “I provided you with a car. I provided you with a boat. I provided you with a helicopter. I provided you with everything you needed to survive.
The title of the thread suggests that
The reality on the Israeli side at least, suggests otherwise…
“To whom was this comment addressed to?”
Even Mr. Beria doesn’t know, Yamit. He’s like a drunk at the bar talking to himself. Then the bouncer comes over and tells him he has to leave.
Mr. Beria (Quigley) is back? I thought I told him to fuck off and go to Cuba? I guess he wasn’t listening. You mean now we have to read again his insanely utopian ideas and his “praise” for his messiah Trotsky (may the rats eat his mail!) He’s like a street whore: just when you think she’s left the area and the neighborhood is now respectable, there she is again.
@ Felix Quigley:
To whom was this comment addressed to?
Mr Ross please explain how el Sisi is the puppet of the Saudis and above all of the Islamic State. Your conspiracy theory approach to serious political matters reminds me a lot of David Icke, whose political ideology is all inclusive of everything under the sun and which is naturally self-expanding
But just explain the el Sisi ISIS puppet thing and I will leave it there
We all know there was a major break between Obama and the Saudis over Mubarak and hence Morsi
We alo know that the Saudis back ISIS against Assad essentially
We know all of that. But el Sisi is a nationalist who is acting against Hamas and arguably against Abbas as well because Abbas is liquidatig fast into Hamas. This always happens with conspiracy theorists like Icke.. Events catch up with them. Then they react by producing another reality but producing another reality means ignoring the living events.
Theory is grey but Green is the eternal tree of life
Mr Ross you are very like Icke in this regard (of method, I emphasise not politics) You produce these “realities” in your own head” (definition of subjective idealist)
If I knew your name I would also be formal with you but I must say your comment did not disappoint and you came into this issue of el Sisi all guns firing in order to reduce its importance.
But the issue of el Sisi is dwarfing even the issue of ben Ali, Mubarak, Gadhafi, Gaghbo because it is more direct and more immediate on what Israel nust DO
This is a comment I made on the MSherman Facebook and it is self explanatory:
A commenter said realising the importance of el Sisi “Ouch I feel their pain!!! Now cut the free electricity, It’s easy Bibi- just flip a couple switches and wait- let Gaza sit in the dark. They need to understand there are reprisals for rockets. Also it’s time for reparations to be brought up- tariffs for the Arabs, let them pay the punishment rather than the Israelis who areab out to endure higher taxes and budget cuts to pay for the 9 billion shekel war..
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4586819,00.html”
Felix Quigley myself answered “debya I value this a lot. This is the biggest issue. The big question is why is el Sisi so bold and decisive but the Jews cannot get up such a leader. Why? There must be a reason!” end comment
The action of el Sisi is so bold, decisive and totally praiseworthy. It must be supported by every progressive totally, completely, unconditionally.
Even Balfour (to use as analogy)had his own reasons but who would not have supported the Balfour call to créate a Jewish Homeland in 1917.
It is the same thing here. The action that el Sisi is taking must be supported unconditionally by every progressive person on the planet.
Netanyahu must do exactly similar. He must take action now this very day and not wait another hour to do so.
But if you come along and say “Oh I don’t really trust el Sisi and he must have his own reasons” then that is the same as saying “Oh I don’t really trust Balfour and so we will (must) stay clear of el Sisi and Balfour”
Then that opens the door for Netanyahu and this self-seeking Jewish Israeli elite to again betray the Jews and do nothing.
This kind of approach to political issues lead totally to paralysis.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
you can always find reasons for doing nothing. the problem I have with many of the comments above is that they open the door and give an excuse to Netanyahu to betray once again. Netanyahu knows that el Sisi is hated by the American ruling classes and so he will stab el Sisi in the back.
Netanyahu has such a record of slavish adherence to the US that that is the likely scenario. He will waste time and will let the opportunity slip.
Arafat was forced to go to Tunis; perhaps it is time for Hamas and acolytes to move to the Caliphate. Hams has demonstrated to the world that it DOES NOT govern in Gaza.
Two serious questions: whose satellites & what are el-Sisi long term goals? If he does not focus on the economy he is in trouble.
Always keep in mind Taqiyya.
@ bernard ross:
You mean Buddha the Energizer?????
yamit82 Said:
Have you been reading First Book of Psychobabble written by …….,,,,? 🙂
yamit82 Said:
Sorry, the nausea arising after the first few sentences prevented further reading. I dont seek to know more about them anymore except to read about them dead as a cure for my upset stomach.
@ bernard ross:
It could been Hunk just as well proving to one and all that I don’t have sex on my mind all of the time. Typos are very revealing of personalities behind our web persona.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
@ bernard ross:
@ bernard ross:
Here’s a site you guys will love to read
Always good to know what the enemy thinks
yamit82 Said:
Bingo!
(NB: Chung-definition- a chinese chunk) 😛
@ bernard ross:
Hmas can take the West Bank whenever they choose. Only Israel prevents them Even if they allow for now Fatah into Gaza as a fig leaf representation Hamas will hold a gun to their heads… Israel is not their problem for the moment Egypt is and they are not doing it for Israel.
To tell you how bad it is there terrorists have interrupted their electic grid and Egypt has to allocate useage so half of each at any given time is cut off for 30% of consumption needs. The real fight between Fatah and Hamas is who gets the biggest chung of the donor money and import monopolies.
Hamas will never willingly give up their control of Gaza to Fatah.
hamas is being squeezed to submit to abbas,with the support of the euros, egypt, GCC and the US
@ bernard ross:
I have been waiting to see who would catch up to that detail. Another transparent example on how to handle national interests.
They do not wait for an internationally sponsored cease fire. They simply destroy anyone they consider enemies and Egypt despises the Hamulas in Gaza.
Again, the evaluations expressed to our chagrin by foreigners about Don Netanyahu were not far from the mark.
Interestingly the Egyptians are setting up the buffer zone on the Gaza side of the border. they are conducting a military operation,destroying houses etc in foreign territory which the internationals say is still “occupied” by Israel. Very little mention of the fact that they are operating on the Gaza side rather than their own side of the border. This article says Egyptian rafah but I have read elsewhere that it is 500 meters on gaza side. I wonder what is the truth, the media is vague.
Felix Quigley Said:
Sir Yamit the knave, LOL
Felix Quigley Said:
I dont remember this, as an observer. However, “close unity” cannot be entered suddenly. they have operated in tandem, also with the GCC, but there can never be “close unity” while Egypt remains so anti semitic. “Closeness” results from experience over time, otherwise there is the risk of premature ejaculation.
Felix Quigley Said:
Of course he was right and you were wrong, knaves slaughtering each other is a good thing, why take sides with one of your enemies prematurely when it is a positive factor if they are both weakened. Notice that, now as back then, when you kept calling for Israel to defend Assad, the hezbullah supporter, you were wrong as the intelligent option was chosen and the enemies weakened each other. The status quo of enemies slaughtering each other is the best scenario.
Felix Quigley Said:
Your ideology has made you a puppet. israel must pragmatically assess its interests and act accordingly. Sisi is cooperating with Israel at present but Assad still cooperates with Iran and Hezbullah. Furthermore, Sisi is a puppet of Saudi and islamic state. Your ideological bent is an anachronism and leads to a faulty analysis of correct events and trends.
At the moment I support Vlad threatening Europe not because I prefer him but because I would like to see him drain Europes energy. The same with the islamists in Europe, I would like to see them create more conflict there to drain Europes energy. Why? Because it’s good when Jews haters are killing each other.
yamit82 Said:
This is always a possibility. Even though I have stated that I beleive there have been understandings with the GCC under the table which influenced many of BB’s decisions in the past few years I have also said that this can change at any moment according to their whims and perceived interests. All the assembled Jihadis in the ME can easily be refocused on Israel simply by some fatwas and edicts originating in Riyadh. My view is that Sisi’s “cooperation” is originating from his GCC funders. I also beleive that the GCC and the US wanted a greater role from israel militarily in Syria and in deposing hamas to allow the ascension of Abbas. Perhaps a regional deal with Iran would lessen their desire to cooperate with Israel and they might return to their old Israel card, with the approval of Obama. Israel must be cautious, wary and covert.
@ yamit82:
True. I have no evidence of the destruction of the tunnels. I also have no evidence that the tunnels have not been destroyed.
Given the paradigm, I choose to accept the former and not the later. Gut feeling choice, granted. Everyone may do in this case as he or she may find applicable.
As to the Camp David Accords. Like everything else agreed with enemies, we flunked and kept on doing it.
We would have been far better off by allowing the bestial islamic entities to force a huge showdown with Egypt while the later was constrained in Sinai deployment.
The allocation of large deployment rights to Egypt is another giant blunder by the well… PM.
@ Felix Quigley:
Mr Belman??? Why so formal Felix you have always been on a first name basis??????
I am waiting your comment with such anxiety and anticipation that
my poor emaciated body is shaking uncontrollably.
Mr Belman Please retrieve and reléase the comment by Yamit82 because I want to know what this knave has to say now. Over a year ago I called publicly as a Trotskyist that there be a close unity formed between Israel and the el Sisi Government and this knave that you allow space on your blog opposed it, just as he also refused to defend both Mubarak and Gadhafi against the Muslim Britherhood. So I definitely am waiting to see what he says here. For my part I have been saying clearly and openly on both my blog http://www.4international.me and on the Martin Sherman Facebook page that Israel must defend unconditionally but critically all SEULAR governments wherever they are against the Islamic Jihad, and this is exactly the basis on which it is necessary to defend el Sisi
comment in moderation
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
How do you know???
Of the some 1500 tunnels he claims to have destroyed have you ever seen any verification by any onjective source?? Have you seen Photos of any even a single one?
Egypt has a standing army of over 1.5 milllion, they have almost a full division of some of their best units in Sinai thanks myopic Israel (BB) allowing them to destroy the only real benefits from Camp David Agreements”: DE-MILITARIZATION OF THE SINAI.
I don’t believe most of the Tunnels have been destroyed nor do I believe Sisi is all that serious in defeating terrorists in Sinai. He needs them active but controlled where thy act more against Israel than Egypt. This allows him to pressure America for more and better arms and Israel into allowing more of his military into Sinai.
I suspect we are being played for suckers and fools.
In any event if Sissi doesn’t turn around Egypt’s failed economy the people might rise up again. Don’t think he can do it…. War against MB and other factors makes it impossible.
@ woolymammoth:
I hate to say this but his profile is not far from that we heard from overseas.
If I have to make a decision as who has been more damaging, him and or the peresites it would be hard to make a call.
For what I know he was not a coward in uniform. But that could be based on urban legends. They do fabricate images here.
Otherwise he is utterly untrustworthy and has done great damage.
At present it remains unclear who was responsible for the rocket fire over the weekend…
Oh it is abundantly clear alright it is The Grand Chickens–t who OCCUPIES the oval office, who is responsible, that is who.
If Egypt demands Israel do it’s part, how can they say “no”. This is what we have been praying for Bibi…please do not drop the ball.
General Sissi will be a most important ally long after Obama recedes from view. Still I agree with Mar. HaLevi, Netanyahu is only well versed in the most minimal defensive moves. I would counsel to cooperate with Egyptian efforts at all cost, even at the risk of pissing off Obama some more. Who cares at this point.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Once again, what is probably an empty threat by Netanyahu followed by a brisk retreat. That is his MO especially now when it seems highly likely that Obama waiting for the first opportunity to withhold a veto or worse. Let’s face it, it is Bibi’s style to play defense. I would imagine if he were go first in chess, it would be a DEFENSIVE move, right from the get go. He is trying his best to keep his head down and run out the clock…dribblemeister. There may be some value to that given the FACT that the United States electorate twice decided to give it’s presidency away to an equal opportunity candidate who just happens to be someone of a background and lineage which indoctrinates hate of us. So, let Bibi the Obama specialist finish out the game. At some point he must allow others to gain the valuable experience to inherit these responsibilities. Hopefully the pendulum will swing the other way, which if the momentum is maximal could result in a friendly US administration. hey compared to Obama, almost anything, by definition will be better.
I know that General Sissi is doing it.
I seriously doubt Netanyahu will do it.