AP News, December 14th, 2006
Hamas militants, angry that Israel was preventing Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from returning to Gaza, burst into the Rafah border terminal Thursday, sparking a gunbattle with guards before taking control of the crossing. Two Hamas militants were wounded.
Travelers at the terminal dived for cover and a top Hamas official furiously tried to persuade the militants to disperse. Following the gunbattle, European monitors said the border would not be reopened Thursday, apparently leaving Haniyeh stranded in Egypt.
Haniyeh, of Hamas, cut short a lengthy trip abroad to return to Gaza to try to quell growing internal tensions between his Hamas group and its rivals in Fatah. But Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered the border closed to prevent him from bringing in tens of millions of dollars he raised abroad for his cash-strapped government, Israeli security officials said.
Under an agreement signed a year ago, Israel does not have the right to close the border, but it has used the threat of military action to force the border to close repeatedly in recent months.
Haniyeh's government has been badly crippled by international economic sanctions that have left it unable to pay full salaries to its 165,000 workers. Top Hamas officials have recently smuggled millions of dollars over the border to help keep the government afloat.
A Palestinian official said Haniyeh was carrying $35 million he raised during his recent trip, which included stops in Syria and Iran. Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, a mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, was talking to Israeli officials to arrange Haniyeh's return, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the press.
Hamas militants waiting outside the terminal grew impatient waiting for Haniyeh's return and broke into the compound shooting in the air. The Palestinian Presidential Guard, responsible for security at the terminal, began firing at them, according to an Associated Press reporter at the terminal.
Travelers in the terminal lobby ran for cover, some carrying their luggage. Women and children hid behind walls and nearby taxis outside.
The Hamas militants, chanting "God is great, let's liberate this place" took over the arrival hall, and the border guards escorted the European monitors to safety.
"There is chaos here," said Wael Dahab, a spokesman for the Presidential Guard.
Haniyeh aide Ahmed Yousef ran into the terminal to try to persuade the gunmen to leave.
Maria Telleria, spokeswoman for the EU monitoring mission, said all 16 monitors were safely evacuated and the border would remain closed.
"Now it is dark, the monitors will not be coming back," she said. "But I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow."
