Media coverage
Deutsche Welle Hausa · 2013-08-23
The Gaza Strip has been in shock since the coup in Egypt, with the Gaza-Egypt border mostly closed or opened only for a few hours a day, deepening the hardship of residents and travelers. Palestinian political analyst Omar Shaban says what happened in Egypt was like a political and economic tsunami for Hamas, which had relied on support from the Muslim Brotherhood and must now rethink its position.
The Gaza Strip has been in shock since the coup in Egypt, with the Gaza-Egypt border mostly closed or opened only for a few hours a day, deepening the hardship of residents and travelers. Palestinian political analyst Omar Shaban says what happened in Egypt was like a political and economic tsunami…
Even smuggling routes through the underground tunnels in the south of the territory are encountering obstacles. Hamas, which governs the territory, had pinned its hopes on the Muslim Brotherhood government; now it must rethink.
Since the coup in Egypt, the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt has not been opened, and when it is opened, it is only for a few hours a day. Nabil El Shurafa is a travel agent in Gaza City, and what he does most now is cancel airline tickets for travelers or change their travel dates.
## Gaza residents suffer the most
“Whenever there is a problem in the region, Gaza’s residents suffer the most. Our work in this travel agency office is to sell tickets, arrange travel dates, or cancel them altogether, and we are trying to ensure that travelers do not pay too much money.”
Running a travel agency in a territory where most of its 1.7 million residents cannot leave when they want is extremely difficult, especially these days. Even in recent months before the overthrow of Mohammed Morsi’s government, crossing the Gaza border at Rafah was something that required great patience. Travelers sit in frustration and uncertainty in the waiting hall hoping for permission to leave. Some come every day to try their luck, like this young student studying in Algeria.
“I have an important exam on the first of September, and my entry permit will expire on the third of September. For the past week I have been going back and forth here in order to leave. Gaza is not the only place that borders Egypt, yet the border crossing is closed every day. We too are human beings, not animals.”
This young man and other travelers staged a protest carrying boxes to draw attention to the difficult conditions they are facing, but no one showed any interest in the protest, because there was no official there to help them. Even the Hamas authorities themselves were not present, because they themselves have more than enough on their hands. The change of power that took place in Egypt shook Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007, says Omar Shaban, an analyst of Palestinian political affairs.
“What happened in Egypt was like a political and economic tsunami for Hamas. The Muslim Brotherhood, which ruled Egypt for one year, gave Hamas political and economic support, along with a certain encouragement.”
## The coup in Egypt disrupted Hamas’s calculations
Up to this point, almost everything had been going well for the Hamas government because the Muslim Brotherhood had become an important ally. Qatar had also pledged financial aid worth millions of dollars, but the unexpected change of power means Hamas must rethink.
Analysts believe that before long Hamas will be forced to take harsh measures to consolidate its control over this small territory. However, it also knows it must proceed cautiously to avoid the anger of Egypt’s new rulers.
Authors: Tania Krämer / Mohammad Nasiru Awal
Editor: Mouhamadou Awal Balarabe
Text © Deutsche Welle Hausa — archived here with attribution to the source. — Machine translation for archival reference. — Original source