http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Rafah Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:49:43 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Rafah Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:36:34 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=458_1371058015 aydeo Islamic Jihad invites thousands of children to pick up AK-47, fight summer ennui in activities ranging from shooting practice, fire jumping, and IDF outpost attack - In a somewhat unorthodox summer camp in the Gaza Strip, children aged between six and 16 picked up AK-47s and engaged in a series of quasi-military drills, including a lively game of "kidnap an Israeli soldier" in the sand dunes of Rafah. An AFP correspondent listed some of the activities the Islamic Jihad summer camp offers its enrollees: Weapons use, jumping over fire and crawling under barbed wire, all performed to the tune of exploding charges. Aside from technical skills, camp organizers also promise religious lessons. Several photographs released on Wednesday show a young khaki-clad vacationer, his face colored in camouflage, dragged by two gun-toting tykes from an "outpost" adorned with an Israeli flag, in what appeared to be a reenactment of the Gilad Shalit kidnapping. AFP reported that the summer camp organizers expect the participation of thousands between the ages of six and 16. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4391533,00.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=458_1371058015 aydeo Gaza kids play 'kidnap IDF soldier' in Islamic Jihad summer camp... Gaza,Islamic Jihad,Summer camp Mon, 20 May 2013 00:59:31 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=300_1369025846 cathy winslow Seven Egyptian Security personnel continue to be held hostage in an unknown location in the Sinai Peninsula since last Thursday. One army recruit, 4 port security officers and 2 members of state security were abducted near the border town of Rafah by Tribesmen last Thursday. Unconfirmed reports in the media suggest that the kidnappings are linked to the torturing of a Sinai militant serving a sentence in a Cairo Prison leading to the loss of his eye-sight. Similar kidnappings of security forces as well as tourists have been increasingly occurring in Sinai by tribesmen demanding the release of relatives who they say have been falsely accused of crimes. A strong legacy of mistrust between Sinai's Bedouins and the police lives on from the days of former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. Bedioun leaders have said that discriminating practices of the police against Bedouins continues till today under elected goverment and that such practices must end in order to address issues of security and under development in the peninsula. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi had called in the ministers of defense and interior for an emergency meeting and government officials have said that if all attempts to free the security personal fail that force will be used. A video of the abducted soldiers blindfolded stating their names and ranks has been released online. The soldiers delivered a message to the President and minister of Defense pleading that the government release political prisoners from Sinai and relatives of the abductors saying that they can not handle anymore torture. The situation in the Sinai Peninsula has been volatile since the start of the Egyptian Revolution. The pennisula has seen lawlessness, increased violence and an almost complete halt of tourism which provided a livelihood for many of the local Bedouins and many fear that any further complications will lead to a full confrontation between the government and tribes. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=300_1369025846 cathy winslow Seven Egyptian border guards abducted near <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Egypt,Border guards,abducted,taken prisoner,Morsi,Rafah Sun, 24 Mar 2013 01:28:51 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=11d_1364102617 aydeo Egyptian bride, 17, smuggled into Gaza via tunnel to meet her Palestinian groom after Egyptians authorities refused to grant her entry permit - The Palestinians' tunnel industry which facilitates the smuggling of goods from Egypt to Gaza has seen many unusual sights along the years, from cows being dispatched to Gaza, to cars being dismantled on one side and reassembled on the other. This weekend one tunnel became a scene of an event of a totally different nature. In what could be seen as a modern day version of Romeo and Juliet, Palestinian Emad al-Malalha, 21, and Egyptian Manal Abu Shanar, 17 - two lovers separated by a border - used one Rafah tunnel to unite and wed. The two had been engaged for six months but could not marry as Egyptians border authorities refused to give Manal a permit to cross into Gaza. Undeterred, the couple who were forced to communicate only via telephone, hatched a plan. They would use the smuggling tunnels to sneak the bride into the Palestinian side. Dressed in a white wedding dress, Manal entered one of the tunnels where she was met by Emad in his groom's outfit. After walking hand in hand for almost half a mile, they emerged from the tunnel to be greeted by family and friends before being driven straight to a wedding hall in Gaza. http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4360244,00.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=11d_1364102617 aydeo Gaza tunnel sees lovers unite Gaza tunnel,Lovers unite,Romeo and Juliet Sat, 28 May 2011 15:06:42 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=24c_1306609209 aydeo Gaza blockade ends: Egyptian authorities open Rafah Crossing permanently Saturday morning after four years, first Gaza bus crosses into Egypt; Palestinians want Cairo to also allow goods to pass through crossing Latest Update: 05.28.11 Gaza blockade ends - After four years, Egypt has permanently opened the Gaza Strip's main gateway to the outside world. The Rafah Crossing opened on a permanent basis Saturday, with some 150 Palestinians from Gaza entering Egypt in the morning hours. The first busload of passengers crossed into Egypt at the Rafah terminal, where about 400 Gazans awaited At this time, the Rafah Crossing is only open to the movement of people. However, the Palestinians demand that authorities in Cairo also allow the regular transfer of goods, and not only humanitarian aid. Hamas' Deputy Foreign Minister, Razzi Hamed, said that there are no international observers on the Palestinian side of the crossing as was the case in the past. "The Palestinian side has not received until now a demand from the Egyptian side; we prefer the crossing to be an Egyptian-Palestinian affair only," he said. The deputy minister argued that there was no need for European inspectors to be deployed at the border crossing. "The Palestinian government monitored the crossing successfully and in a professional, legal manner in line with the rules customary at global land crossings," he said. On the Egyptian side, for the first time, there is no massive deployment of local security forces. Israel monitors situation Israeli security officials are monitoring the Rafah Crossing's opening and are estimating that Egypt will be keeping the border crossing open for a few hours every day, in a limited fashion. Defense officials said that messages received from Egypt indicate that there are no plans to open the crossing in a broader manner. The sources noted that at this time, those who are interested in moving from Egypt to Gaza can do so thought underground tunnels and via other means, so the implications of the Rafah crossing's opening are marginal. "There is no doubt we would have liked to see the Crossing closed, and we'd also like to see Egypt thoroughly handling terror, there and elsewhere. The Egyptians are preoccupied with domestic problems at this time," one official said. "We are monitoring developments there and conveying messages to the relevant parties." 'A disgusting matter' Egypt and Israel have maintained a blockade over Gaza since 2007 to weaken Hamas following its violent seizure of the area. But after the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, Egypt's new military rulers decided to ease the blockade. Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby told the Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera late last month that the closure of Rafah crossing was about to end, calling the decision to close it "a disgusting matter." Earlier this week, Egypt's official news agency, MENA, said that authorities in Cairo set the date for the opening of the crossing as part of efforts "to end the status of the Palestinian division and achieve national reconciliation Egyptian officials have notified Hamas government in Gaza of the decision, according to which the crossing will be opened for nine hours a day, six days a week. The Egyptians will apply a protocol according to which men ages 18-40 would have to coordinate going through the crossing, but women and children would be exempt from visas. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=24c_1306609209 aydeo Gaza's <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Crossing opens Gaza blockade, open,Rafah Crossing, Thu, 26 May 2011 14:51:09 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8e9_1306435598 aydeo Organizers of Turkish flotilla determined to go ahead with plans next month despite opening of Rafah border crossing. 'This is the language people understand, this is the only way people will pay attention to Palestinian suffering,' IHH spokesman says Published: 05.26.11 Organizers of the Turkish flotilla to Gaza are adamant about going ahead with their plans to challenge Israel's blockade next month despite official reports that the Rafah border crossing will be opened to Palestinians as of Saturday. "We shall set sail, we have many surprises in store," IHH spokesman "Omer Faruk said. "If there really is no blockade then there shouldn't be a problem with us going there. Everything will become clearer next month." Faruk claims that had the previous flotilla not departed, the Rafah border would not have been opened. "That's the language people understand, it's the only way they will pay attention to Palestinian suffering. If there will be a more convenient way, we'll take it, but right now our attention is focused on the population in Gaza." The spokesman declared they will act peacefully, adding "we only hope the Israeli side acts the same." Earlier this week, IHH head Bulent Yildirim said, "Even if we sacrifice shahids (martyrs) for this cause, we will be on the side of justice." Huwaida Araf of the Free Gaza movement also claimed the flotilla will go ahead as planned. Araf, a native of Detroit who is currently residing in Ramallah, said that the opening of the Rafah crossing does not rule out the need for a flotilla. "The purpose of the sail is the stop the harm caused to Palestinians and to change the situation created because of Israeli policy," she said. "It's not just Gaza. It's the West Bank and Jerusalem. Israel continues to hurt Palestinian rights illegally. This policy must change, and opening Rafah will not change the fact that Palestinian fishermen cannot fish more than five km away. " Israeli expat Dror Fyler, who heads the Gaza movement in Sweden is also planning to join the flotilla. "The opening of the crossing is good news both for Israel and the Palestinians," he said. "It will reduce the pressure and give Gazans breathing space which will minimize the possibility of extremists exploiting the situation for violence." But the flotilla is still necessary, he claimed. "The opening of the crossing still depends on the Egyptians' mood, they may decide to close it after two days. This also applies to Israel - sometimes it opens crossings, sometimes it closes them. We are acting on the belief that the Palestinians must have control over their own passageways and points of contact with the world. The blockade must end." Fyler admitted that radicals may try to cause provocations. "I call upon representatives of the UN and the EU to board the ships and check the passengers and cargo before and after the sail." He noted that journalists from all over the world will take part in the flotilla, as well as dozens of European parliament members. "We hope the Israeli army has learned its lesson," he said. "To start shooting is easy - stopping is not so easy. It will only be over when the blockade is over." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4074409,00.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8e9_1306435598 aydeo Flotilla to go ahead despite opening of <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> border crossing Turkish Flotilla,IHH,f Rafah border crossing Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:57:25 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=12b_1281095644 aydeo Sources tell Haaretz the attack had been approved by the Hamas politburo chief, Khaled Meshal, based in Damascus. By Anshel Pfeffer and Avi Issacharoff 06.08.10 The commander of Hamas' military wing in Rafah, Raed al-Atar, is responsible for ordering the firing of Grad-type Katyusha rockets at Eilat and Aqaba from Sinai earlier this week, Palestinian security officials say. Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported yesterday that Egypt had declared a state of emergency in the Sinai Peninsula as part of a manhunt for the militants who fired the rockets. It was also reported that senior security officials went to Sinai to investigate the incident and hunt down the militants, who are still believed to be in the peninsula. Security sources told Haaretz that according to an investigation by Palestinian intelligence, Atar was behind the rocket attacks authorized by the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip, without the knowledge of the Hamas military commander there, Ahmed Jabari. But Palestinian security sources said Atar carried out the attack with the approval of the Hamas leadership abroad and with the backing of Iranian intelligence agents, who appear to have initiated the mission. The sources said the attack had been approved by the Hamas politburo chief, Khaled Meshal, based in Damascus. Atar, who in recent years has greatly increased his power and influence in the Gaza Strip, particularly in Hamas' armed wing, is now asserting greater authority over the tunnels in which goods are smuggled from Sinai into Gaza. According to intelligence sources, a number of militants under his control crossed into Sinai through the Rafah tunnels, where they were met by Egyptian drivers and the Grad-type Katyusha rockets. They drove in off-road vehicles toward Taba on the Red Sea coast, avoiding security checks by the Egyptians. The militants fired seven rockets; one fell near an Egyptian security installation near Taba, and six others near Eilat and Aqaba. Hamas had steered clear from carrying out terrorist attacks against Israeli targets from the territory of a third country, and it certainly has not targeted Jordan. But Hamas members have been arrested on their way to attack Israeli targets in Egypt. In Jordan many Hamas operatives have been arrested, along with weapons that apparently were part of a plan to strike Jordanian targets or Israeli targets in Amman. A day after the rocket attacks the Jordanians said they knew who was behind the operation, until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that the attacks were carried out by Hamas. If Hamas is indeed guilty, the incident may worsen relations between the Palestinian Islamist group and Egypt and Jordan. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces has stepped up its preparedness along the border with Egypt, amid concerns that militants planned to carry out further attacks from Egypt. The Egyptians have also stepped up activity on their side of the border with increased patrols by troops in armored personnel carriers. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=12b_1281095644 aydeo PA: Hamas military chief in <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> ordered rocket attacks on Eilat, Aqaba PA,Hamas,Rafah,Rocket Attacks,Eilat,Aqaba Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:49:03 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=923_1261125980 aydeo Egyptian media reports several incidents of Palestinian gunmen opening fire at Egyptian workers constructing steel fence on Rafah border. Al-Gumhuriya editorial calls smuggling tunnels 'direct attack on Egypt's sovereignty' Roee Nahmias Published: 12.17.09, 22:49 / Israel News Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a number of different occasions in recent days at Egyptian construction workers building a steel fence meant to separate Egypt from the Gaza Strip, Egyptian media reported on Thursday. According to reports, the shootings took place near Rafah crossing and led to the temporary suspension of works. There were no reports of injuries in the incidents, and Egypt has increased its forces along the border. The Arabic BBC network reported that, according to eyewitnesses in the Gaza Strip, a number of incidents have taken place in recent days in which fire was opened at the Egyptian side of the border fence. According to various reports, fire exchanges took place between Egyptian soldiers and Gazan smugglers. Egyptian newspaper al-Gumhuriya condemned the incident Thursday morning and defended Egypt's "sovereign right" to build the fence as a means to pressure Hamas. The paper's editorial argued that the fence currently under construction is "the same fence that exists now, with invisible reinforcements being made to its foundations." According to the report, steel plates which are 50 cm think and 18 meters long are being used to reinforce the fence, as well as plates with a 35 cm thickness and 15 meter length. The paper also slammed sources from the Egyptian opposition who criticized the construction of the fence. "There are those who wish to present Egypt as a contributor to the blockade on the Palestinians by blocking arms smuggling passages. But these people forget that the smuggling of arms through the Sinai is a direct attack on Egypt's sovereignty, and on its legitimacy. "It is Egypt's right to develop the fence which separates it from Gaza and it is its right to build a fence that will be strong and not be toppled by bulldozer, as this one was when hundreds of thousands of residents of the Strip stormed it in January 2008." The Egyptian report follows details revealed last weekend, according to which Egypt is building a think steel fence, with a significant portion of it to be underground. The fence will reach a depth of 20 to 30 meters and will span many kilometers along the Egypt-Gaza border, parallel to the Philadelphi route. Meanwhile, media in Cairo reported that the Egyptian security forces uncovered 10 more smuggling tunnels linking Gaza to the Sinai on Wednesday. Palestinian websites cited eyewitnesses as saying work on the fence is currently in the stage of laying the foundations for fixing the steel plates. It seems the laying of the plates themselves has yet to begin. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=923_1261125980 aydeo Gazans fire at Egyptian workers in <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Plestinian Gunmen,Fire Incidents,Egyptian Workers,Rafah Border Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:48:34 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=57d_1254328833 Mr-Creosote Palestinians come under attack from the IDF while demonstrating in the southern Gazan town of Rafah http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=57d_1254328833 Mr-Creosote Unarmed Palestinians under IDF fire: <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Rafah, Gaza, IDF, Palestine, War Crimes, Palestinians, Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:05:17 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e26_1246970939 dan_man_ Two activists with British citizenship are unable to leave the Gaza Strip after Egyptian authorities refused to let them pass through the Rafah Crossing. Yousef Al-Helou has a report. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e26_1246970939 dan_man_ British activists stopped at <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Crossing Tel Aviv,Gaza,Gaza Strip,Rafah Crossing,British activists Fri, 03 Jul 2009 14:02:58 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=94a_1246643393 barnesy Al-Arabiya TV (Dubai/Saudi Arabia) : Al-Arabiya TV Report about the Smuggling Industry through the Rafah Tunnels http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=94a_1246643393 barnesy Smuggling Industry Through The <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Tunnels. Smuggling Industry Through The Rafah Tunnels Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:11:42 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bcd_1230739436 liorasis gaza view : Attack on Hamas Tunnels Rafah Border 30/12/08 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bcd_1230739436 liorasis gaza view : Attack on Hamas Tunnels <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> Border 30/12/08 gaza view : Attack on Hamas Tunnels Rafah Border 30/12/08 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:41:31 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=374_1230625970 smeblee The Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip opened on Monday to the besieged Gazan people for a limited time. Shots of wounded people being carried to the Egyptian side 00:00-00:16 Shots of trucks carrying humanitarian aid going to the Gaza Strip, additional shots of the wounded people being carried, details 00:16-01:03 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=374_1230625970 smeblee Raw - Update - <span class="highlight">Rafah</span> border crossing opens to Gazans israel,plestine,conflict,gaza,rafah,border