By Xinhua
Gaza : Egypt reinforced security alongside the border with Gaza Strip on Tuesday, one day after a Palestinian man was killed in clashes between Gazans and Egyptian border forces.
The London-based Arabic daily of al-Hayat reported that the reinforcement troops, made up of 1,500 Central Security men, have strict orders to maintain security at the borders and deter Palestinians who dare to try to cross into Sinai, with force if necessary.
On Monday, the Egyptian forces completed the closure of the breaches that Hamas militants opened in the border barrier on Jan.23, and clashed with Palestinians who tried to continue getting into Sinai, killing one Palestinian man.
Hamas, which rules Gaza Strip, blew up the border in a bid to break the Israeli siege on the coastal enclave. The blockade was imposed when Hamas took over the territory by force last June after routing security forces of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas. Meanwhile, interior ministry of the Hamas administration in Gaza called for an investigation into Monday’s border turmoil and urged the Egyptian troops to maintain self-restraint.” This woeful incident requires the arrangements of reopening Rafah crossing to be accomplished quickly,” the ministry said in a statement.
The crossing was closed last June when pro-Abbas forces and European Union (EU) monitors, who run the crossing, withdrew in response to Hamas takeover of Gaza.
Hamas demands to have a role in running the passage with new standards, bypassing an international deal on reopening the terminal.
But according to al-Hayat daily, Egypt has affirmed that it will not accept any presence of Hamas on the border crossing and that the terminal must be opened under the control of Abbas forces.