On January 4, 2006, masked gunmen seized the Central Election Office, the local courthouse, and two other government buildings in Rafah. According to a Palestinian National Authority employee, gunmen also blocked access to the Rafah Border Crossing and set up a checkpoint on the road leading to the border crossing. Initially, the masked gunmen turned people away but then allowed individuals who where seeking to enter Egypt for medical treatment or flights to proceed. The gunmen blocked the border crossing for a little more than an hour and then departed after learning where their associate, Ala al-Hans, was being held by the Palestinian police.
Ala al-Hans is suspected of kidnapping Kate Burton, a British human rights activist, and her parents . The three were later set free unharmed. Police officers in Gaza seized Ala al-Hans, who is believed to be a member of Al-Fahed Al-Aswad (Black Panthers) .
Seizing the newly controlled Rafah border crossing has become a new way for Palestinian gunmen to show displeasure with actions of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). For example, on December 30, 2005, Palestinian police officers seized the border crossing for three hours to show their displeasure with the PNA. Also, on December 29-30, armed gunmen from a local family attempted to free a family member who had been arrested on drug charges. During the first attack on a police station on December 29, a Palestinian police officer was killed in the gunfight. On December 30, the gunmen returned and attacked the police station a second time, attempting to free the man, killing an innocent bystander. With little support from the PNA government, the police officers took matters into their own hands and seized the border crossing.
Unrest and lawlessness will continue until the Palestinian National Authority takes a firm stand with violence in Gaza. For too long, the rule of law has been absent from Gaza and has caused good police officers to abandon the occupation. At some point, the government in Gaza will have to collect the thousands of weapons that are in the hands of disenfranchised Palestinians in Gaza. While there once was a program to do just that, Yasser Arafat (Intel Report) did not want the guns collected, and so now there are even more. Palestinians have learned collectively that the way to settle a dispute is with a gun. Recently, a Palestinian in Gaza explained to this analyst a slogan that is popular among the people. A local candidate seeking office in January 25 election is campaigning with the slogan ?One Government One Gun.? This simple slogan sums up the problem and the solution. Until that happens, we will continue to see the chaos and violence in Gaza.