Marked as Checkpoint Charlie on the Roadmap to Peace
Stranded on the Egypt-Gaza Border
Israel's Closure of Crossing Prevents Thousands From Returning Home
By John Ward Anderson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, August 2, 2004; Page A12
RAFAH, Egypt, Aug. 1 -- Like thousands of other Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who do not have access to advanced medical care, Hani Hindi traveled across the border to Cairo for specialized treatment. Three months ago, Hindi said, he had been shot by Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis while installing a rooftop satellite dish.
But when he tried to return home two weeks ago, Hindi said, he was stunned to find that Israel, which controls all access to Gaza with fences and military patrols, had closed the gates on July 17 and was letting no one in or out.
Hindi, 22, and his wife, Malina, who is eight months pregnant, have been stranded since then at the Rafah border crossing with about 2,500 other Palestinians who are unable to cross into Gaza but lack the money or travel papers necessary to return to Egypt.
