The Independent, 4 February 2008
Gaza's 1.5 million Palestinians were trapped behind their closed borders again after tasting freedom for 12 days, when Egyptian forces sealed the last of the breaks in the Gaza-Egypt barrier broken down by Hamas militants.
After the metal spikes and barbed wire were in place yesterday, attention turned to how the border crossing would be run, and it appeared unlikely that the Islamic Hamas rulers of Gaza would get what they want — a role for them but none for Israel.
Egypt warned Hamas against trying to open the border by force again, as it did on Jan. 23.
"Egypt is a respected state. Its border cannot be breached and its soldiers should not be lobbed with stones," said Suleiman Awwad, spokesman for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
The border breach temporarily relieved a seven-month blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized Gaza by force in June.
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