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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Israel blocks PM's return to Gaza | Israel blocks PM's return to Gaza |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Israeli authorities have ordered the closure of a border point with Egypt to prevent the return of the Palestinian PM, Ismail Haniya of Hamas. | Israeli authorities have ordered the closure of a border point with Egypt to prevent the return of the Palestinian PM, Ismail Haniya of Hamas. |
| Mr Haniya is said to be carrying tens of millions of dollars in donations from Iran. | Mr Haniya is said to be carrying tens of millions of dollars in donations from Iran. |
| Hamas militants reacted angrily to the closure, storming the border point and taking it over from Palestinian guards. | Hamas militants reacted angrily to the closure, storming the border point and taking it over from Palestinian guards. |
| Hamas sources now say Mr Haniya is to return without the money and others in his delegation will bring it in later. | |
| Since the election of Hamas earlier this year, there has been a Western-led boycott of the government. | Since the election of Hamas earlier this year, there has been a Western-led boycott of the government. |
| Hamas has been unable to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of its workers and has partially circumvented the boycott by officials carrying in millions of dollars. | Hamas has been unable to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of its workers and has partially circumvented the boycott by officials carrying in millions of dollars. |
| Factional tension | |
| Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz had ordered EU monitors to close the Rafah crossing, Israeli sources said. | Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz had ordered EU monitors to close the Rafah crossing, Israeli sources said. |
| Mr Haniya was due to return to Gaza on Thursday after cutting short his first trip abroad as PM to deal with mounting tensions between Hamas and rival faction Fatah. | Mr Haniya was due to return to Gaza on Thursday after cutting short his first trip abroad as PM to deal with mounting tensions between Hamas and rival faction Fatah. |
| Inter-faction tensions have increased since the killing of three sons of a pro-Fatah security chief on Monday. | Inter-faction tensions have increased since the killing of three sons of a pro-Fatah security chief on Monday. |
| Israel said Mr Haniya would only be allowed to cross into Gaza if he left the money - which is reported to total more than $30m (£15.3m) - on the Egyptian side. | Israel said Mr Haniya would only be allowed to cross into Gaza if he left the money - which is reported to total more than $30m (£15.3m) - on the Egyptian side. |
| Israel says that money, in particular from Iran, goes directly to the funding of "terrorist" operations against Israel. | Israel says that money, in particular from Iran, goes directly to the funding of "terrorist" operations against Israel. |
| Palestinian and Egyptian officials say Mr Haniya's convoy is making a second attempt to cross and Israel has agreed to allow Mr Haniya to return, without the money. However, this has not been confirmed by Israel. | |
| 'Chaos' | |
| The closure sparked gunfire at the crossing point. | The closure sparked gunfire at the crossing point. |
| The Palestinian presidential guard, responsible for security there, began firing at Hamas militants, according to an Associated Press news agency journalist at the terminal. | The Palestinian presidential guard, responsible for security there, began firing at Hamas militants, according to an Associated Press news agency journalist at the terminal. |
| Militants chanting "God is great" took over the hall. | Militants chanting "God is great" took over the hall. |
| Travellers took cover and a leading Hamas official tried to get the militants to disperse, the agency said. | Travellers took cover and a leading Hamas official tried to get the militants to disperse, the agency said. |
| "There is chaos here," said Presidential Guard spokesman Wael Dahab. | "There is chaos here," said Presidential Guard spokesman Wael Dahab. |
| There were also unconfirmed reports of two loud explosions that had blown a hole in the Gaza-Egypt border. | There were also unconfirmed reports of two loud explosions that had blown a hole in the Gaza-Egypt border. |
| Maria Telleria, spokeswoman for the EU monitoring mission, said all 16 monitors had been safely evacuated and the border would remain closed Thursday. | Maria Telleria, spokeswoman for the EU monitoring mission, said all 16 monitors had been safely evacuated and the border would remain closed Thursday. |
| "Now it is dark, the monitors will not be coming back," she told the Associated Press news agency. | "Now it is dark, the monitors will not be coming back," she told the Associated Press news agency. |
| "But I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow." | "But I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow." |
| The border is operated by European observers who have to travel from Israel to get to it. | The border is operated by European observers who have to travel from Israel to get to it. |