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Siege of Gaza Starts Biting
 Hundreds of Palestinians lined up outside bakeries in Gaza yesterday to buy bread as shop owners complained they were running out of flour because of Israels closure of a commercial crossing into the strip.
| That'd be the one the Paleostinians shot up and swarmed across, right? Wonder why they closed it? |
And to prevent the collapse of the Palestinian economy, donor countries are looking into the possibility of paying salaries directly to 140,000 Palestinian Authority employees.
| Oooh. That's gotta hurt. No rakeoff at the top. |
Israel has been closing Karni, the main commercial crossing with Gaza, on and off for the last two months, citing security concerns.
| What's a few shootouts, a riot here and there? That's hardly any reason for closing it down, right? |
It has said the closures were not a response to the election victory of Hamas in January.
| Might have had something to do with the booms, though... |
Palestinians have complained of looming shortages of many basic food stuffs while UN agencies have warned that stocks were running low and prices skyrocketing. Outside one bakery in Gaza City, at least 70 Palestinians jostled and pushed each other to get bread. The owner said he had to limit the quantities people could buy. Hisham Al-Shanti, owner of one of the largest bakeries in Gaza City, said he had enough flour for one more day. If the crossing continues to be closed, we will shut the doors of the bakery, Shanti told Reuters.
| Life's tough. It's tougher when you're armed, dangerous, and stoopid. |
An Israeli Army spokesman said Karni had been closed again on March 13 after being open for several days. There were no immediate plans to reopen it, he said. An Israeli security source said an alternative crossing at Kerem Shalom could be used from tomorrow to transport goods in and out of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians have rejected such alternatives in the past.
| "Kerem Shalom? A second-rate crossing. Not up to our standards. Bring us a better offer!" |
Palestinians said the crossing has not been kept open long enough to make up for the previous closures.
Posted by: Fred 2006-03-18 |
