EGYPT CLOSES RAFAH CROSSING FOR 2ND DAY, CITING DETERIORATED SECURITY
Rafah, 7 Dzulqai’dah 1434/ 13 September 2013 (MINA) – Rafah border crossing has been closed for the second day in a row for ‘deteriorated security’ in Sinai Peninsula.
Director of Crossings Authority, Maher Abu Sabha, confirmed the closure of the crossing on Thursday.
Egypt informed the Palestinian side on Wednesday that the crossing would be closed until further notice, Alray, Palestinian Media Aganecy quoted by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Egypt’s decision came after a car bombing had targeted the headquarters of military intelligence in Egyptian Rafah, killing 11 soldiers and wounding 17 others.
During the past two days, malfunctioned computers of the Egyptian Rafah crossing, cited by the Egyptian side, led only a few dozens of the stranded people in Gaza to enter the Egyptian territory.
Since the Egyptian military had overthrown former president Mohamed Morsi, the Rafah crossing has been partially operating. About 200 to 300 passengers (4 to 6 buses) used to be allowed for departure, comparing to 1,000 to 1,200 during the rule of Mohamed Morsi.
Contractors’ Union asks ICRC to mediate re-opening of Rafah crossing
Palestinian Contractors Union demanded International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to mediate with the Israeli occupation to reopen all border crossings with the Gaza Strip.
Head of the Union Nabil Abu Meilq’s appeal came Sunday during a meeting between members of the Union and Andrew Gardiner, the economic security delegate of the International Committee.
Abu Meilq briefed the ICRC on the impact of the closures of crossings on the economic situation in the Gaza Strip, and on the construction sector.
He stressed the need to open all crossings of Karam Abu Salem, Sufa and Karni, pointing to the hardened situation due to closing the tunnels and crossings which supply Gaza with raw materials, construction tools and machinery.
“Tunnels serve nearly 50% of the needs of construction materials for the Gaza Strip’s five governorates, the Rafah crossing 30%, while the Karam Abu Salem crossing covers 20% of the total needs,” he said.
Commenting on Egypt’s recent unrest and its repercussions on the Rafah crossing, he said the closures led to limiting the quantities defined in Qatari-Egyptian protocol, noting that the essential building materials enter through the Israel-controlled Karam Abu Salem crossing only in coordination with internationals, which affect the work of real estate investment in Gaza.
He rejected the partial mitigation of crisis by the Israeli authorities “Israel should allow for regular access of the construction materials to the private sector in Gaza, so that the reconstruction projects would not stop,”
According to Ministry of Public Works and Housing, the reconstruction plan is of two phases: the first phase includes 23 internal roads in the refugee camps of Nusierat, Alshati, and Jabalya, Gaza City and in some other areas.
While the second phase is to build a new residential district in southern Gaza called ‘Hamad’ after Qatar’s Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and a new hospital for artificial limbs in northern Gaza with the same naming.
Other infrastructure vital projects to be covered by the Qatari grant include the paving of the Salah Eldin main road for 25 km, as well as the coastal Rashid Road with a similar distance and the Karama Road in eastern Gaza City. (T/P02/E1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
