Egyptians Fire on Gazans

Egyptian Bedouins increasingly frustrated after frenzied Palestinian shoppers trigger food shortages, rising prices; Rafah shopkeepers say price of tea has tripled, many shops remain closed after running out of supplies

The emptying of shop shelves and a block by Cairo on new supplies has prompted thousands of Palestinians to go home since Sunday, with some saying it was now easier to shop in Gaza than in Egypt.

The Palestinians poured tens of millions of pounds into impoverished towns on the Egyptian side of the border when they streamed across to stock up on food, petrol and other goods. Some Egyptian civil servants quit their jobs temporarily to become street vendors or money changers while business flourished.