Young Egyptians cross into Gaza to join jihad

Young Egyptians are making daily attempts to cross the border into the occupied territory of Gaza to fight alongside the Palestinians against Israel.
According to guards on the strongly fortified crossing at Rafah, one or two Egyptians in their teens or early 20s are arrested every day trying to cross into Gaza.

"They just want to go to fight against Israel as the only way they feel possible to express solidarity with Palestinians," said Farid Zahran, who leads the main Egyptian organisation supporting the Palestinian intifada.

Last month Milad Mohammed Hameed, 22, tried to walk across the border but was spotted by Israeli guards and shot dead. He is now being called Egypt's "first martyr of the Palestinian intifada", and senior opposition politicians leading protests against Israel pay regular visits to his poor family in their village.

Mr Zahran does not believe that these young people are moved to sacrifice their lives by his group or political parties led by the Islamists and leftwing nationalists.

"It is the effect of the image," he said.

"This young man from Beheira had probably never heard of us before. It is enough for him to sit and watch the news every day and see the pictures of massacres Israel commits against Palestinian civilians and children."