Freedom for A Day

As Israel continued its blockade of goods and fuel entering the Gaza strip, resulting in widespread power and food shortages, Hamas militants had slowly been cutting the 10metre high border fence with Egypt. In the early hours of January 23rd several large explosions brought over 2 miles of the border fence down allowing thousands of trapped Palestinians to travel freely into Egypt.

Throughout the next four days the Egyptian army looked on as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians crossed into Egypt to stock up on goods and fuel in the nearby towns. As well as fuel and food, camels, cigarettes, motorbikes and mobile phones were all in big demand, and popular goods soon sold out in stores across the region. Eventually new border fences were installed and the Gazans reluctantly returned to their homes, to a “collective punishment” as the EU has termed the Israeli treatment of the 1.5m Palestinian residents of Gaza.