Egypt Police Injure 35 Palestinians

Source: PressTV

Egyptian forces injured at least 35 Palestinians on Wednesday when they clashed with protesters who staged rallies against Cairo's steeling its border with the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The incident occurred when security forces confronted the protesters on the Egypt-Gaza border, Reuters reported. Two of the injured are in critical condition.

The Egyptian government is building a steel wall along the border to prevent the trafficking of any goods to the strip.

The coastal sliver continues to suffer from an all-out Israeli-imposed blockade which has deprived it of its basic necessities for over two years.

Cairo has also been keeping shut the Rafah border crossing — the Gaza Strip's only border that bypasses Israel— claiming that the border post is an Egyptian-Israeli crossing and should not be used without the Tel Aviv's permission.

The Egyptian riot police earlier injured 55 people in the port of El-Arish during clashes with the Gaza-bound human rights activists Viva Palestina.

The scuffles broke out after Egypt said it would not allow 59 humanitarian assistance trucks of Viva Palestina's relief convoy to enter Gaza.

The convoy is comprised of 210 trucks carrying basic food items and medical supplies.

The 450-strong group, led by British lawmaker George Galloway, set out for the port after being barred from taking the most direct route into Egypt by entering the country via the Red Sea.