camels, cigarettes, snack cakes and pistols.

At 20 points along the Gaza Strip's southern border, Hamas
operatives detonated explosives to topple an Israeli-built
fence, allowing as many as 200,000 Palestinians--13
percent of the territory's population--to cross into Egypt
and shop. The Gazans purchased camels, candy, cement,
chairs, cheese, cigarettes, computers, cows, doughnuts,
gasoline, generators, goats, mattresses, medicine,
motorcycles, pistols, potato chips, sheep, snack cakes,
soap, and televisions. Supplies at Egyptian shops
dwindled, prices spiked, and fistfights ensued. Several
Gazan women married Egyptians, and the Israel Defense
Force patrolled its southern border for would-be suicide
bombers and hostage takers.