Steel Barrier's Effects Solidifying?

Sources from the Egyptian town of Arish bordering Rafah, claim that the Egyptian contractors are not quite near completion of the wall. After finishing the Eastern section of the steel barrier they have now moved to installing a barrier inside the water and West of the Egyptian town of Rafah. The final stage will entail installing the metal sheets between the Egyptian and Palestinian towns of Rafah, where most of the tunnels are located.

Recently, clashes have increased between the Bedouins and authorities who have a weak presence in the region. The same source claimed that three trucks had been stopped by the Egyptian authorities with diving gear. Are Hamas preparing for access to Egypt via sea?

A Reuters report a few hours ago seems to confirm allegations of a tunnel crisis. Hamas has not paid its employees on time this month, which is spreading fear of a cash crisis in the enclave.

The Egyptian authorities for their part yesterday once again claimed that they would not meet with Hamas until they have agreed to the conditions of reconciliation talks.

Stop this barrier or else we will have more of this American-inspired shit.

Steel Barrier Forces "Reconciliation?"

In June 12th 2007 I watched smoke rise from the home Nabil Shaath-"chief negotiator in Palestinian-Israeli peace talks"- after Hamas operatives has set it ablaze. Now he's back for "reconciliation talks." A truly unusual sight.

The Egyptian newspaper Almasry Alyoum reported February 1st that the Egyptian steel barrier with the Gaza Strip is "has entered the final stage of construction."

ّHamas PM Ismael Haniyeh did not meet with Shaath though, he preferred seeing Muneeb Al-Masry, a West Bank businessman. At a press conference he said, "we are talking about working procedures and agreeable views in order to meet the procedures that we agreed upon in the Egyptian agreement in order to reach true reconciliation and the unity of the Palestinian people."

With the potential for Egypt's steel barrier to have significant consequences on the Gaza Strip's tunnel trade- which provides 35% of the Strip's trade- economic pressure is likely to make the difference in forcing Hamas' hand.

It makes one wonder what is hiding behind the smiles.

slowly spiraling out of control

After a weekend away I arrived at the Erez border to return to Gaza. At the checkpoint I ran into a Frenchman, with a worried look on his face. I realized later he was escorting injured journalist Didier Francois out of Gaza. Francois was shot in the leg earlier in the day while coming into the line of fire of Hamas and Fateh clashes.

Throughout the day tensions were high as fighting between Hamas and Fateh broke out all across the Gaza Strip. The restraint on both sides that depicted the past many days was broken down today as Fateh aligned forces took over two ministries and the Hamas Foreign Minister Mahmoud A-Zahar’s vehicle was fired on. The president’s office was attacked numerous times throughout the day.

Jamal, having had his car returned on Thursday, took me through back roads and alleys avoiding likely clash points. For Jamal thirteen days of fear and anticipation had come to a close Thursday night. For those thirteen days Hamas’s security forces together with the Palestinian police had negotiated with a local mafia to return the car. When Jamal reported the incident at the police station he learned that at least five cases of car theft were being registered daily just at this station in the Northern Gaza Strip. With no one power really in control the lawlessness is naturally spiraling out of control.

Tonight ambulance sirens and gunfire make up the evening landscape.