Effects of Egypt's turmoil felt in Gaza Strip - http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11774.shtml
Rami Almeghari, The Electronic Intifada, 2 February 2011 

The ripples of the popular uprising in Egypt that began on 25 January -- demanding the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak and his regime -- have made their way to the occupied Gaza Strip. Egypt has ordered the closure of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza and Hamas ordered a halt to the tunnel trade with Egypt, leading to shortages in fuel supplies. Efforts by Palestinians in Gaza to demonstrate their support for the Egyptian uprising were broken up by police.

Meanwhile, as thousands of prisoners escaped or were freed from Egypt's jails, some of the prisoners of Palestinian origin have made their way back to Gaza and have begun to tell their stories.

The Gaza Strip, home to about 1.5 million Palestinians, borders and was once ruled by Egypt until Israel occupied the territory in 1967 -- the same time that it occupied Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank and Syria's Golan Heights. The Sinai was returned to Egypt under the terms of its 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

Over the past few years, since the elected Hamas party took control of the interior of the Gaza Strip, Egypt has helped Israel maintain a tight siege on the territory. Nevertheless, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt remains the main route for Palestinians to travel in and out of Gaza, though movement is severely restricted. Because of the closures, Palestinians have become increasingly reliant on tunnels running under the border to bring in essential supplies from Egypt.

Prisoners find their way back to Gaza

Hassan Washah was the first Palestinian known to have fled from an Egyptian prison and returned to Gaza.]…] "An inmate, who seemed to be from the Bedouin community in Sinai, helped me by letting me escape with him. We took cab after cab until I arrived at the border line between Gaza and Egypt, where some members of my family were waiting for me near the mouth of a tunnel on the Gaza side of the border," Washah said. ]…] 

Meanwhile, the Hamas authorities in Gaza have closed the roads leading to hundreds of tunnels in the Palestinian border city of Rafah, leading to a severe shortage of gasoline. Due to Israel's tight restrictions on fuel supplies into Gaza, many people rely on gasoline brought through the tunnels, not only for transport but also to run generators that are needed because of long daily power outages that affect most of Gaza's population. The supply through the tunnels helped keep prices lower, but now gasoline is becoming scarce.]…]


Hamas break up solidarity demonstrations

In Gaza City demonstrators who attempted to show their support for the Egyptian people's revolt quickly found themselves confronted by Hamas' police personnel. 

Members of the Gaza Youth Breaks Out reported on the group's Twitter account (@GazaYBO) that a demonstration had been planned for 2pm on Monday in Gaza City's Jundi al-Majhoul (Unknown Soldier) square. But later the same day the group tweeted that at least seven people, including five women, were arrested and later released as the police broke up the demonstration. Bethlehem-based Ma'an News Agency, citing activist sources, reported that "six women and eight men were arrested" ("Police in Gaza Break up Egypt solidarity rally," 1 February 2011).]…]


In spite of the economic impact of the unrest in Egypt, many in Gaza express strong support for the Egyptian uprising. "We feel sad for the unprecedented unrest in Egypt but I am confident that our Egyptian brothers and sisters will make it and, God willing, they see their rights restored," said Muhammad al-Rifai, a Palestinian leftist activist from the central Gaza Strip. Al-Rifai spent almost 17 years in an Israeli prison until he was released in 1985.]…] more here http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11774.shtml

Rami Almeghari is a journalist and university lecturer based in the Gaza Strip.

Conséquences du désarroi égyptien ressenties dans la bande de Gaza. - http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11774.shtml

Rami Almeghari, The Electronic Intifada, 2 février 2011

Les répercussions du soulèvement populaire du 25 janvier 2011 en Egypte – exigeant le départ du Président Hosni Mubarak et de son régime – ont gagné la bande occupée de Gaza. L’Egypte a ordonné la fermeture du passage frontalier de Rafah vers Gaza et le Hamas la suspension de l’utilisation du tunnel des échanges avec l’Egypte, provoquant ainsi une pénurie d’essence. Les efforts des palestiniens pour soutenir les égyptiens dans leur combat ont été interrompus par la police.

Pendant ce temps alors que des milliers de prisonniers s’évadaient ou étaient libérés des prisons égyptiennes, certains de ces prisonniers d’origine palestinienne rentraient à Gaza.

La bande de Gaza, foyer d’environ un million et demi de Palestiniens était gouvernée par l’Egypte jusqu’à l’occupation du territoire par Israël en 1967 – et en même temps de la péninsule égyptienne du Sinaï, West Bank et les collines Syrienne du Golan. Le Sinaï était rendu à l’Egypte sous les accords du Traité de Paix de 1979 avec Israël. 

Ces dernières années depuis que le Hamas élu a pris la direction du pouvoir à l’intérieur de la Bade de Gaza, l’Egypte a aidé Israël à maintenir une occupation sévère du territoire. Néanmoins, le passage frontalier de Rafah avec l’Egypte reste le seul endroit où les palestiniens peuvent aller et venir bien que les mouvements soient sérieusement restreints.

Les prisonniers retournent à Gaza.

Hassan Washah était le premier palestinien à s’évader de sa prison égyptienne pour retourner à Gaza. « Un co-détenu qui paraissait originaire d’une communauté bédouine du Sinaï m’a aidé en me laissant le suivre dans sa tentative d’évasion. Après avoir pris différents taxis je suis arrivé à la frontière entre l’Egypte et Gaza où des membres de ma famille m’attendaient près de la bouche du tunnel côté Gaza. » dit-il.

Peu après les autorités palestiniennes de Gaza ont fermé les routes conduisant aux centaines de tunnels de la ville frontalière palestinienne de Rafah provoquant ainsi une pénurie d’essence. En raison des restrictions sévères sur les réserves d’essence par Israël, beaucoup dépendent de l’essence transportée via les tunnels, pas uniquement pour les voitures ou camions mais aussi pour les générateurs d’électricité nécessaires à cause des coupures quotidiennes très fréquentes qui touchent la population de Gaza. Les réserves transportées dans les tunnels aidaient à maintenir un prix assez bas et maintenant l’essence se fait rare.

Le Hamas interrompe les manifestations de solidarité.

A Gaza, les manifestants qui essayent de montrer leur soutien à la révolte du peuple égyptien se sont vite retrouvés confrontés aux forces de police du Hamas.

Suite ici : http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11774.shtml