Mubarak: Rafah crossing to open just with presence of Abbas loyals
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday that his country will keep its border crossings with Gaza Strip closed until his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas regains authority over the territory and a 2005 deal governing their operation is respected. "We in Egypt are not going to contribute to perpetuating the rift (between Abbas and Hamas) by opening the Rafah crossing in the absence of the Palestinian Authority and EU observers in violation of the 2005 deal" between Abbas and Israel, Mubarak said in a televised speech.
His cooments came despite criticism of Egypt in the Arab world over its refusal to open the crossing, which has helped complete an Israeli blockade of the coastal territory.
Earlier, hundreds of demonstrators have stormed the Egyptian Consulate in Aden to protest against Egypt's role in Israel's offensive against Gaza Strip. According to a Yemeni security official, the protesters, who were mostly students from the University of Aden, "vandalized furniture before they were removed peacefully from the building."
The official added that the demonstrators attacked the front gate, threw computers from windows, and climbed the two-story building to the roof and set fire to the Egyptian flag on Tuesday. According to AFP, there have been no reports of casualties.