Worries At Gaza-Egypt Border

Egyptian troops allowed elated Palestinians to flood across the border from Gaza for a second day Tuesday, deepening concerns over when Egypt would impose control over a crossing that Israel fears will be used to bring weapons to Palestinian militants. But the open border is not expected to last long, as greenhouses in Gaza are looted and order seems distant.

Gazans, long barred by Israeli border guards from entering Egypt, went on a shopping spree in Egyptian towns, hauling home suitcases and boxes full of cheap cigarettes, food, fish and other goods.

Others searched out relatives they have not seen for years in Rafah, which is divided in two by the border. Some Gazans went as far as el-Arish, 24 miles west of Rafah, and were seen dining at seaside restaurants in the Mediterranean town.

Israeli forces withdrew from the border early Monday as they ended their 38-year occupation of the Gaza Strip. Under a deal with Israel, Egypt has deployed hundreds of troops to guard the border and prevent smuggling into Gaza.

But Egypt's 750 troops on the Gaza border may not be able to prevent the flow of weapons across the border, CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports. That's because as soon as Israel pulled out, border security collapsed. Thousands of Palestinians crossed the border and Egyptian guards appeared helpless.

But Egypt has vowed to restore order. A Palestinian security commander says Gaza-Egypt border to be closed by Wednesday evening.

Although Egyptian troops tried to control the crossings in some places Tuesday, Gazans largely continued to move back and forth freely in Rafah.

Meanwhile, Palestinians looted dozens of greenhouses, walking off with irrigation hoses, water pumps and plastic sheeting in a blow to fledgling efforts to reconstruct the Gaza Strip.

American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for $14 million last month and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash.

Palestinian police stood by helplessly Tuesday as looters carted off materials from greenhouses in several settlements, and commanders complained they did not have enough manpower to protect the prized assets. In some instances, there was no security and in others, police even joined the looters, witnesses said.

"We need at least another 70 soldiers. This is just a joke," said Taysir Haddad, one of 22 security guards assigned to Neve Dekalim, formerly the largest Jewish settlement in Gaza. "We've tried to stop as many people as we can, but they're like locusts."

The failure of the security forces to prevent scavenging and looting in the settlements after Israel's troop pullout Monday raised new concerns about Gaza's future.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told his people in a televised speech Tuesday that he would take immediate steps to impose order. "We have one law for everyone and no one is above the law. We are not going to tolerate chaos after today," he said.

The Palestinian leader is under intense pressure from his people and the international community to stop the growing lawlessness in Gaza, where rival militant groups are jockeying for power. As Abbas spoke, hundreds of masked Hamas gunmen wielding rifles and grenade launchers paraded through the streets of a nearby refugee camp.

On Monday, masked Hamas fighters were seen on the Palestinian side of the border, with some crossing over to the Egyptian side. But none was visible Tuesday, and some Palestinian security forces were seen on the Gaza side.

Palestinian officials said Egypt had informed them it would allow crossings until Thursday, after which control would be restored. The Egyptians also want to allow Palestinians on the Egyptian side of Rafah to move permanently to the Gaza side to rejoin families, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the Egyptian communications were confidential.

"Zalman Shoval, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said Egypt's failure to stop the border crossings was a cause of concern.

One would like to hope that what happened there was just a one-time failure by the Egyptian troops to do what is expected of them. But if this continues Israel will have to ask the multinational force (in the Sinai) to be a great deal more active in supervising the Egyptian compliance in the commitment it made with Israel," he said.

"The great danger is that both people and arms could be smuggled under the unwatchful eyes of the Egyptians — that was the whole purpose of coming to this agreement," Shoval said.

Still, another Israeli official said that while Israel has formally presented its concerns to the Egyptians, "there is an understanding that today is the first day of a new reality and that the Egyptians have not yet fully deployed their forces in the area." The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because the contacts between Israel and Egypt are confidential.

At least one Rafah resident said that amid the chaos, some weapons have exchanged hands, making it to the Palestinian side, but there was no official confirmation.

Egypt has so far deployed several hundred of the 750 troops it is due to station at the border. The full contingent is expected to arrive in about a week.

The streets of on the Egyptian side of Rafah were full of Palestinians, shopping and greeting relatives. Some Palestinians who entered Monday spent the night in the town. Some Egyptians were also crossing into Gaza, taking goods to sell or just out of curiosity.

"Things are cheap here, not like back home," said a 23-year-old Palestinian, who would identify herself only as Nasreen, as she bought 10 plastic tables from a Rafah shop to take back to Gaza.

"The town is seeing an economic prosperity it hasn't witnessed in 30 years," said the shopowner, Abdel Hadi Khalil. "The people are very happy ... this helped boost their morale."

On one Rafah street, Thoraya Ismail — an Egyptian married to a Palestinian — wept as she hugged her daughters, whom she hasn't seen in seven years and who crossed over from Gaza. She saw her two toddler grandchildren for the first time.

"Thank God," she said between sobs. "They were preventing us from crossing into the Palestinian side because I'm Egyptian."

On Tuesday, a group of Egyptian police formed a human chain in front of Saladin gate in a bid to regulate the flow of Egyptians and Palestinians wanting to cross into the Palestinian side. Men and women waited in the scorching sun for police to allow them over in small groups. Others took back roads to cross the border.

But with no passport controls for the past two days, it will be difficult to determine who belongs on what side of the border even when order is restored.

Four Palestinians died Monday during the chaos, one shot by Egyptian troops and three others who drowned in the sea, Palestinian officials said. An Egyptian presidential spokesman, Suleiman Awad, denied that the Palestinian was killed by Egyptian fire but did not say how the death occurred.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas raised a Palestinian flag over the Rafah border crossing Monday evening to mark the end of the Israeli military presence. But he denounced the border chaos.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for the border to be stormed," Abbas said. "We must resolve this problem in a civilized manner."

Control of the border was seen as a first test for the Palestinian Authority's rule over Gaza and Egypt's ability to secure the frontier.