Egypt: Cairo Government Under Pressure Over Gaza

Trouble in Cairo: the Egyptian Government has been facing criticism for its opposition to the entry of 1400 international members of the Gaza Freedom March into the territory and its construction of an iron wall between the border of Gaza and Rafah in Egypt, trying to prevent smuggling tunnels under the 14-kilometre (9-mile) frontier.

On 22 December, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit defended the wall as a defense "against threats to national security". Eight days later, he reiterated, "What Egypt is doing is placing structures on its territory related to Egyptian defense." Meanwhile, Egypt's upper house of parliament, the Shura Council, endorsed the government's security measures in northern Sinai and along the border.

Israel’s “Grand Strategy”: Build More and More Settlements

Cairo also announced on Tuesday that only 100 internationalists would be given permission to cross the border. The Egypt Government also gave way to the 450 members of the Viva Palestina convoy, who are moving from Damascus to Egypt's El-Arish port, from where the group expects to enter Gaza.