2006年VOA标准英语-Palestinian Gunmen Block Access to Border

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
04 January 2006

Palestinian gunmen have blocked access to the border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, and stormed at least four government buildings nearby. The violence followed the arrest of a Palestinian militant¹ in connection with the kidnapping of three British citizens last week.

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Masked militant of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs²' Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian leader  
  

Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, stands at the gate of the Rafah border crossing 
In a further sign of the deteriorating³ security situation in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian gunmen reportedly affiliated⁴ with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade blocked a road leading to the Rafah border crossing, which links Gaza with Egypt.

Members of the group also placed explosive devices near the entrance to the crossing and stormed several Palestinian government buildings in the area, including an elections office, forcing workers to flee.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is a violent militia⁵ affiliated with the ruling Fatah Party and is a State Department designated terrorist organization. Members of the group say their attacks are in response to the arrest of an Al-Aqsa leader linked to the kidnapping of British aid worker Kate Burton and her parents last week. The three were freed unharmed after being held for several days.

The Rafah crossing is under the supervision⁶ of European Union observers. A spokesman for the observers says their functions were not disturbed. Mohammed Dawwas, an independent Palestinian journalist working in Gaza, says while the gunmen were able to block the road, the crossing terminal is inside a heavily guarded compound.

"Planting bombs and all these things cannot really be inside, it is going to be maybe outside the front door on the north side or east side," he said. "But not really entering inside the crossing and sending bombs. I do not know. So the only way for them to stop people from traveling is to stop people coming in from Rafah area, Gaza Strip, that is the road only."

The Gaza Strip has seen growing instability since Israel completed its withdrawal⁷ in October.

Violence is especially acute in the southern part of the Gaza Strip where Palestinian security officials have less control than elsewhere in the region. Palestinian security officials say because of the instability they will have trouble providing security for legislative⁸ elections, which are scheduled to take place on January 25.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 martyrs   

n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情）

参考例句：

• the early Christian martyrs 早期基督教殉道者
• They paid their respects to the revolutionary martyrs. 他们向革命烈士致哀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

4 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

5 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

6 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

7 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

8 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。