RAFAH, Egypt — Hamas militants joined Egyptian forces for a second day Monday in trying to restore control at three breaches in the Gaza border, building a chain-link fence to seal off one opening and directing traffic at two others.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have flooded into Egypt in the six days since Hamas blasted holes in the partition. They have been buying up food, fuel and other goods made scarce by Israeli and Egyptian closures of Gaza’s borders.
Hamas seized control of the Palestinian territory in June, but before the breach, it had no role in policing the border with Egypt. Now the Islamic militant group is hoping that will change, and it is pressing for some kind of role in border administration.
At a meeting in Cairo, Arab governments were strongly opposed to that idea.
Egypt and foreign ministers of the Arab League have firmly backed the Palestinian Authority, led by moderate President Mahmoud Abbas in its power struggle against Hamas. They back a 2005 border pact that excluded the Islamist organization entirely.
