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Tens of thousands of Palestinians flooded into Egypt from Gaza on Jan. 23 after Hamas gunmen detonated 17 bombs to blow through the metal wall along the Rafah border crossing. Palestinians poured across the border in search of food, fuel, cigarettes and other basic supplies that have dried up in Gaza due to Israel’s severe economic blockade, which is designed to pressure Hamas into halting rocket attacks.
There have been several such border breaches since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, and Egypt typically resumes control over the border situation after a few hours or days. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak declared that his troops allowed the Palestinians through because they were starving, and that they should be permitted to buy food before returning home.
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