Rafah, Gaza Strip – Border crossings crucial to the impoverished Gaza Strip’s economic survival remained shut Monday, three days after Hamas routed Fatah security forces and took over the Palestinian territory.
Hamas militants have taken over Gaza’s Rafah border crossing into Egypt, and no one knows when Karni, the territory’s only cargo crossing, will function again because it would require cooperation between Israel and Hamas.
Already at the Erez terminal, where Palestinians enter Israel and the West Bank, the situation has turned violent. On Monday, Palestinian militants at Erez fired at Israeli soldiers on the other side, triggering an exchange that left at least one Palestinian dead and 15 wounded.
Hundreds of people, including many Fatah loyalists, have camped in the tunnel leading to the terminal, hoping to be allowed through closed gates.
Human-rights groups fear that with no products coming into Gaza, the territory will plunge into humanitarian crisis.
“One day of a crossing not working is not going to create a crisis. But a sustained closure will, of course,” said John Ging, the head of U.N. aid operations in Gaza.
Hamas leaders insist the situation will be resolved but offered no details of how they would make that happen.
“We will work to make commerce flourish by reopening the crossings,” said Mahmoud Zahar, a top Hamas leader.
Israeli officials said they would find a way to get aid to Gaza, possibly through a little- used crossing near the Egyptian border.
Israel’s deputy defense minister, Ephraim Sneh, said Israel would allow aid supplied by international groups to enter Gaza, but he did not give details.
“No one, including Israel, wants to accentuate hardship that already exists in Gaza as a result of the internal conflict,” said Mark Regev, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman.
