Hamas Closes Gaza Crossing into Egypt as Tensions Rise

Ugh. OK, the numbers of Palestinians that have been allowed to cross has been limited. Can’t Hamas deal with this without closing the border all together? Meet with officials in private, but let the ones who are allowed to go, go? It might be a smaller number, but it’s something. There are Palestinians who need to go to Egypt for medical reasons. Protesting the border restrictions by closing the border is just plain stupid.

This is all so sad. I have a Facebook friend from Gaza. Sweet, young guy (18). Last week, he was ecstatic about the opening. He hasn’t left Gaza for 10 years. His family has already talked about a trip to Egypt in July. He even started talking longer-term. He really wants to go to Malaysia to study dentistry.

When I woke up this morning, I saw that he messaged me and was very sad. I checked the news, and I felt so bad for him. The optimism is fading fast. I just said that we should remain hopeful and that I’d pray that the border would reopen. What else can we do?

What Hamas is doing is not helping one bit. They are risking this opening. This our way or the highway crap has to stop. I hope they don’t piss off Egypt so much that they close it permanently again. Ugh.

I want my young friend to feel hopeful. I want to see that optimism that 18-year-olds should have. I want to hear those long-term plans again.