Palestinians thronged out of Gaza into Egypt for a second consecutive day yesterday in an attempt to stock up on scarce supplies after militants blew open the border of the Hamas-run territory.
The area where several border walls stood in the town of Rafah less than two days ago assumed the feel of a busy bazaar, as under sunny skies crowds took advantage of a rare chance to leave the fenced-off Gaza Strip unhindered.
Stands selling falafel and other fast-food sprouted up to cater to the throngs of shouting, jostling people, intent on buying goods on the Egyptian side a week after Israel imposed a blockade on the impoverished, densely populated territory.
"There are no mattresses in Gaza. When people get married, they need mattresses," said a smiling Salman, 25.
Salman was standing next to a pile of 15 brand new mattresses that he scooped up for a good price in Egypt, and was sure he could unload them easily back in Gaza.
Since militants set off explosions bringing down stretches of the walls that mark the border between Gaza and Egypt in the divided town of Rafah on Tuesday night, tens of thousands of Gazans have flooded out.
Shelves in numerous stores on the Egyptian side of the town of Rafah and in the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish further west have emptied because of the unexpected influx, witnesses said.
Amid the hustle and bustle, with shouts of people intermingling with the noise of goats and car horns, 40-year-old Fawsa al-Jisha stood out as she stood gazing around surrounded by her nine daughters.
"I just came here to smell the liberty," she said.
"I haven't left Gaza for a really long time," she said.
The exodus came a week after Israel imposed a full-scale blockade on Gaza.
It came response to persistent rocket and mortar fire from the territory ruled by Hamas, a group pledged to the destruction of the Jewish state.
Although Israel eased the lock-down on Tuesday amid mounting fears of a humanitarian crisis, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has vowed to keep up the pressure on Gaza as long as the militants there continue to fire rockets and mortars into Israeli territory.
"Does anyone seriously believe that while children here wet their beds at night from fear and are afraid to leave their homes, they will [lead] lives of quiet routine?" Olmert asked while delivering an address late on Wednesday.
"Under no circumstances will we allow a humanitarian crisis to develop," he said.
"However there is no justification or basis to demand that we allow the residents of Gaza to live normal lives, while mortars are fired and missiles are launching from their streets and courtyards of their homes toward ... communities in the south" of Israel, he said.
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