People in the Gaza Strip are stockpiling supplies due to concerns that Egypt’s uprising will affect the flow of basic necessities through the Rafah border crossing.
Egyptian protesters took to the streets for the seventh consecutive day on Monday to express their rage against President Hosni Mubarak and his government, urging Mubarak to resign.
The protests came after the Tunisian revolution two weeks ago, which toppled President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.
At least 150 have been killed and thousands more injured in clashes since anti-government rallies began across Egypt on Tuesday.
People in Gaza are closely monitoring the protests in Egypt, which has affected prices in the Gaza Strip. The incident also worsens the Israeli-imposed siege on the Palestinians in Gaza, who have been cut off from the outside world for years.
Israel has banned many goods, including the main necessities, from entering the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing, which is the main entry and exit post between Egypt and the coastal enclave.
Since the underground tunnels grant access to such goods, Gazans bring in many of their basic necessities through these tunnels such as construction material and fuel.
Locals can be seen queuing at gas stations stockpiling fuel, over fears that supplies from Egypt could be halted by the turmoil gripping the country.
"The events in Egypt will partially affect the people in Gaza. But in general, it will be stable. We have prepared a plan to make sure no one takes advantage of the situation and raise the prices," Ibrahim Jaber, an official in Ministry of Economy at the Hamas government told a Press TV correspondent in Gaza on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities have informed Palestinian officials of their decision to close the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip indefinitely as the army is being deployed in the northern Sinai.
In turn, Hamas is also deploying its security forces along the border.
Gaza people are also worried that Israel might take over the Rafah crossing and deploy its army along Gaza-Egypt border should the uprising lead to a regime change in the North African country.
(Press TV)
