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| Gaza embargo 'will not be crisis' | Gaza embargo 'will not be crisis' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he will not let his country's blockade of the Gaza Strip turn into a humanitarian crisis. | Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he will not let his country's blockade of the Gaza Strip turn into a humanitarian crisis. |
| But he said he could not allow Gazans to live normal lives while people in southern Israel were under rocket fire. | But he said he could not allow Gazans to live normal lives while people in southern Israel were under rocket fire. |
| He was speaking hours after tens of thousands of Palestinians surged into Egypt to buy supplies as the border wall was partly destroyed. | He was speaking hours after tens of thousands of Palestinians surged into Egypt to buy supplies as the border wall was partly destroyed. |
| Egypt has said it will not use force to send them back. | Egypt has said it will not use force to send them back. |
| Foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said the border would be closed again when all the Palestinians had returned. | Foreign ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said the border would be closed again when all the Palestinians had returned. |
| The blockade imposed last week eased slightly on Tuesday to allow some fuel and medicines through, but Israel has now re-imposed the fuel restrictions. | The blockade imposed last week eased slightly on Tuesday to allow some fuel and medicines through, but Israel has now re-imposed the fuel restrictions. |
| Shells and rockets | Shells and rockets |
| Speaking at a security conference, Mr Olmert vowed to keep up pressure on Gaza until rocket attacks from its territory ceased. | Speaking at a security conference, Mr Olmert vowed to keep up pressure on Gaza until rocket attacks from its territory ceased. |
| GAZA BLOCKADE 17 January: Israel seals border following rise in rocket attacks20 January: Gaza's only power plant to shuts down22 January: Israel eases restrictions22 January: Egyptian border guards disperse Palestinian protest against closure23 January: Border wall breached Blockade incites press anger | GAZA BLOCKADE 17 January: Israel seals border following rise in rocket attacks20 January: Gaza's only power plant to shuts down22 January: Israel eases restrictions22 January: Egyptian border guards disperse Palestinian protest against closure23 January: Border wall breached Blockade incites press anger |
| "We will not hit food supplies for children or medicines for the needy," he said. | "We will not hit food supplies for children or medicines for the needy," he said. |
| "But there is no justification for demanding we allow residents of Gaza to live normal lives while shells and rockets are fired from their streets and courtyards at Sderot and other communities in the south." | "But there is no justification for demanding we allow residents of Gaza to live normal lives while shells and rockets are fired from their streets and courtyards at Sderot and other communities in the south." |
| Israel has called on Egypt to take control of the border and is concerned that weapons will be smuggled into Gaza. | Israel has called on Egypt to take control of the border and is concerned that weapons will be smuggled into Gaza. |
| Map of the Egypt-Gaza border area | Map of the Egypt-Gaza border area |
| "We expect the Egyptians to solve the problem," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel on Wednesday. | "We expect the Egyptians to solve the problem," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel on Wednesday. |
| "Obviously we are worried about the situation. It could potentially allow anybody to enter." | "Obviously we are worried about the situation. It could potentially allow anybody to enter." |
| We demand that our Arab brethren make a clear, practical and quick decision to take all measures and procedures to practically end the Gaza Strip siege Ismail HaniyaHamas leader Egypt faces Gaza surgeIn pictures: Border breachedGaza diary: Day Two But it remains unclear what could be done in practical terms, says the BBC's Ian Pannell in Rafah. | We demand that our Arab brethren make a clear, practical and quick decision to take all measures and procedures to practically end the Gaza Strip siege Ismail HaniyaHamas leader Egypt faces Gaza surgeIn pictures: Border breachedGaza diary: Day Two But it remains unclear what could be done in practical terms, says the BBC's Ian Pannell in Rafah. |
| Egyptian security forces are significantly outnumbered in the area, he says, and any move against the Palestinians would be hugely unpopular both at home and elsewhere in the Arab world. | Egyptian security forces are significantly outnumbered in the area, he says, and any move against the Palestinians would be hugely unpopular both at home and elsewhere in the Arab world. |
| With extensive damage to the border wall, it will be difficult for the Egyptians to reseal the border on their own, and Hamas has very little incentive to co-operate, our correspondent adds. | With extensive damage to the border wall, it will be difficult for the Egyptians to reseal the border on their own, and Hamas has very little incentive to co-operate, our correspondent adds. |
| The UN Security Council is on Thursday due to meet for the second time in three days to try to agree a statement calling for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and southern Israel. | The UN Security Council is on Thursday due to meet for the second time in three days to try to agree a statement calling for an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and southern Israel. |
| Call for talks | Call for talks |
| On Wednesday, at least 50,000 Gazans packed into cars and donkey carts or crossed the Egyptian border on foot after parts of the wall were blown up militants. | On Wednesday, at least 50,000 Gazans packed into cars and donkey carts or crossed the Egyptian border on foot after parts of the wall were blown up militants. |
| Some estimates said as many as 200,000 people crossed the border. | Some estimates said as many as 200,000 people crossed the border. |
| EGYPT-GAZA BORDER 12km (7.4 miles) longEgyptian side patrolled by 750 soldiers under 2005 agreement with IsraelBorder crossing terminal south of town of RafahPA control of terminal under EU supervision collapsed after Hamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007 Border closed almost continuously since Gaza's rocket threat to Israel'Wartime' on Israeli borderProfile: Gaza Strip With reports that entire families were continuing to stream into Egypt from Rafah as darkness fell on Wednesday, a senior Hamas member called for the border crossing to remain open. | EGYPT-GAZA BORDER 12km (7.4 miles) longEgyptian side patrolled by 750 soldiers under 2005 agreement with IsraelBorder crossing terminal south of town of RafahPA control of terminal under EU supervision collapsed after Hamas takeover of Gaza in June 2007 Border closed almost continuously since Gaza's rocket threat to Israel'Wartime' on Israeli borderProfile: Gaza Strip With reports that entire families were continuing to stream into Egypt from Rafah as darkness fell on Wednesday, a senior Hamas member called for the border crossing to remain open. |
| "We want also a window for our people, because we have sick people - they want to get treatment and medical support," Ghazi Hamad told the BBC. | "We want also a window for our people, because we have sick people - they want to get treatment and medical support," Ghazi Hamad told the BBC. |
| Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, meanwhile, has called for urgent talks with Egypt and his Palestinian rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, on border crossings. | Hamas leader Ismail Haniya, meanwhile, has called for urgent talks with Egypt and his Palestinian rival, President Mahmoud Abbas, on border crossings. |
| "We demand that our Arab brethren make a clear, practical and quick decision to take all measures and procedures to practically end the Gaza Strip siege," said Mr Haniya. | "We demand that our Arab brethren make a clear, practical and quick decision to take all measures and procedures to practically end the Gaza Strip siege," said Mr Haniya. |
| The Hamas leader seemed to respond positively to an offer from Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad to control Gaza's borders - so far rejected by Israel. | The Hamas leader seemed to respond positively to an offer from Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayad to control Gaza's borders - so far rejected by Israel. |
| "We do not want to control everything, we are part of the Palestinian people," said Mr Haniya. | "We do not want to control everything, we are part of the Palestinian people," said Mr Haniya. |
| Hamas has controlled Gaza since last June. | Hamas has controlled Gaza since last June. |
| Peace hopes | Peace hopes |
| Mr Olmert also vowed to continue talking to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who controls the West Bank. Gaza has been ruled by Islamists Hamas since June. | Mr Olmert also vowed to continue talking to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who controls the West Bank. Gaza has been ruled by Islamists Hamas since June. |
| "There is no Palestinian leadership better than this one to negotiate peace," Mr Olmert said, adding that he intended to keep his pledge to reach a peace agreement by the end of the year. | "There is no Palestinian leadership better than this one to negotiate peace," Mr Olmert said, adding that he intended to keep his pledge to reach a peace agreement by the end of the year. |
| The UN Security Council is due to meet on Thursday for the second time in three days to try to agree a statement calling for an end to the violence in Gaza and southern Israel. | |
| Palestinians have broken through the border before, in 2005, and it was quickly resealed with barbed wire, but reports say that on this occasion two-thirds of the border wall was destroyed. | Palestinians have broken through the border before, in 2005, and it was quickly resealed with barbed wire, but reports say that on this occasion two-thirds of the border wall was destroyed. |
| In recent months the border has been mostly sealed, in an understanding between Israel and Egypt. | In recent months the border has been mostly sealed, in an understanding between Israel and Egypt. |
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