Rafah, Gaza Strip – Hundreds of Palestinian troops sealed off Gaza’s border with Egypt on Sunday, ending a weeklong free-for-all along the frontier that angered Israeli officials and undermined Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’ efforts to bring Gaza under control.
Palestinian officials called on Israel to allow them to open the official border crossing at Rafah – which Israel closed before it pulled out of Gaza last week – and sent teams of technicians to install X-ray machines and lay electrical lines in the closed terminal.
“Preparations are underway in the crossing, and God willing, when we reach an agreement, the process will move smoothly,” Abbas said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Hamas supporters flooded downtown Gaza City for a military-style victory parade.
Thousands of masked gunmen, some carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers, others with assault rifles, led the march down a main Gaza boulevard.
The Islamic group claims it drove Israel out with scores of attacks over the past five years.
Abbas said the withdrawal was a victory for his policy of pursuing negotiations with Israel.
The border remained one of the key issues left unresolved when Israel completed its Gaza withdrawal. The Palestinians wanted to open the Rafah crossing, possibly with the presence of European monitors, to allow people and cargo to move freely into Egypt.
