A new group warns of blowing up the Rafah terminal if it remains closed

Tuesday September 23, 2008 11:53 by Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies

A new Gaza-based group, calling itself the Brigades for Supporting the Oppressed, threatened on Tuesday to blow up the Rafah crossing terminal "if Egypt continues to close it."

Rafah Crossing Terminal

In a statement emailed to media outlets the newly-emerged group threatened also to kidnap Egyptian security personnel in order to swap them with Palestinians imprisoned by Egyptian authorities.

In addition, the statement urged the ruling Hamas party to unilaterally stop dealing with Egypt as a mediator for a potential Israeli-Palestinian prisoner swap deal and to promise not to take part in the Cairo-mediated national dialogue until Egypt allows stranded patients and students to go exit and enter the Strip freely.

Earlier this week, sources close to the ruling Hamas party slammed the Egyptian authorities for what they termed as "Egypt's improper operation of their side of the crossing terminal," as a lot of people have been denied exit.

Since Hamas took over Gaza in June 2007, Egypt has closed the Rafah crossing terminal and Israel imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza. Egypt used to reopen the crossing from time to time to allow patients and travelers in and out of Gaza

gaza strip | miscellaneous | news report rami at imemc dot org