Egypt will open Gaza border crossing for four days ahead of Ramadan

Egypt will open the Rafah border crossing into Gaza in both directions from Wednesday, allowing movement in and out of the coastal enclave ahead of Ramadan, the Times of Israel reports.

The decision, taken by the Egyptian authorities, was announced by the Palestinian borders and crossings committee.

There is a waiting list of over 30,000 Palestinians waiting to leave Gaza via Rafah, meaning that the four-day window would principally apply to medical and humanitarian cases, Ma'an says.

The other crossing points out of Gaza are controlled by Israel, which does not permit most Gazans to leave the Strip unless under medical or humanitarian conditions. Small numbers of exit permits are also occasionally granted for worshipers to visit Jerusalem, or for students to go and study overseas.

The last time the Rafah crossing was open was in May, for two days. Only a few hundred people were able to cross into Egypt.

Egypt's military siege on the Gaza Strip has been in place for most of the last three years, according to Ma'an. Israel's blockade on the Strip began in 2007, after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip.
 i24news.tv
1/6/16
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