Gazans flood through Egypt border

Thousands of Palestinians have surged into Egypt from the Gaza Strip after masked militants blew several holes in a border wall.
Gazans rushed to buy food, fuel and other supplies that have become scarce because of an Israeli blockade - aimed at stopping rocket attacks from Gaza.

Egypt has backed the closure and the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, has urged it to open its border.

Egyptian border guards took no action against the raid, eyewitnesses said.

Gaza has been short of fuel and other essential goods since last week, when Israel imposed the blockade.

It was eased slightly on Tuesday to allow some fuel and medicines through.

Early on Wednesday gunmen set off a number of explosions along the wall on the border.

Among the thousands of Gazans who crossed into Egypt near the town of Rafah was Ibrahim Abu Taha, a father of seven.

"We want to buy food, we want to buy rice and sugar, milk and wheat and some cheese," he told the Associated Press news agency.

Water cannon

Earlier on Wednesday, a Hamas militant was killed during an exchange of fire near Gaza's border with Israel, Palestinian officials said.

Both incidents came a day after 60 women were injured when Egyptian police broke up a protest against the siege at the Rafah crossing.

The BBC's Ian Pannell, who is on the Egyptian side of the border, says thousands of Palestinians have crossed through the breached wall and were stocking up on essentials, petrol and cigarettes.

Among them was Ibrahim Abu Taha, a father of seven, who told the Associated Press news agency:

"We want to buy food, we want to buy rice and sugar, milk and wheat and some cheese."

Water cannon

In 2005, Hamas militants blew up holes in the border with Egypt following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

Wednesday's scenes at the Rafah crossing come a day after Egyptian police broke up a protest there by women.

In New York on Tuesday, Israeli and Palestinian envoys had clashed at the United Nations Security Council during a debate on Israel's blockade.

The Palestinian UN observer accused Israel of fuelling violence, while the Israeli envoy said his country had to protect its people from rocket attacks.

The council was considering a call for Israel to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza freely.

Tuesday's council debate had been requested by Arab and Islamic states amid a growing international outcry at what the European Union termed the "collective punishment" of Gaza's 1.5m residents.

Some council members have been pushing for a compromise resolution, condemning the rocket attacks and recognising "Israel's rights to self-defence", but also urging the Israelis to lift the closure.

However Israeli representative Gilad Cohen denied that Israel was violating international law.

"It is the duty of all states to ensure the right to life and safety of its people, especially from vicious acts of violence and terrorism," he said, adding that Israel would "ensure the humanitarian welfare" of Gaza.