PALESTINIANS-EGYPT/GAZA Egypt opens Rafah crossing into Gaza in sign of easing tensions

Record ID: 151097

  • Title: PALESTINIANS-EGYPT/GAZA Egypt opens Rafah crossing into Gaza in sign of easing tensions
  • Date: 13th June 2015
  • Summary: RAFAH, GAZA (JUNE 13, 2015) (REUTERS) RAFAH BORDER CROSSING BETWEEN EGYPT AND GAZA PEOPLE GATHERING AROUND BUSES PEOPLE AND LUGGAGE AT CROSSING MAN MOVING LUGGAGE VARIOUS OF WOMAN HOLDING BABY, BABY CRYING MAN SLEEPING ON GROUND AT CROSSING PEOPLE SITTING ON LUGGAGE AT CROSSING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZAN CROSSING THE BORDER AT RAFAH, ANAS RAJAB, SAYING: "Closing the crossi
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Gaza
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1RXPQWIDKPAF6ECCJ8P2NBS35
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing on Saturday (June 13) to allow Palestinians to travel in and out of the Gaza Strip for the first time in three months, in a possible sign of easing tension between Cairo and Gaza's dominant Islamist Hamas movement.
    Gaza, a small impoverished coastal enclave, is under blockade by neighboring Israel and Egypt has kept its Rafah crossing largely shut since Cairo's Islamist president was toppled by the army in 2013.
    Two weeks ago, Egypt reopened Rafah for three days but only in one direction -- for Palestinians stranded outside Gaza to return home. But Saturday's move, allowing travel in both directions, might signal a cautious improvement in relations between Cairo and Hamas after two years of high tension.
    Local residents said an initial bus with passengers had crossed into Egypt and a source at Cairo international airport said Palestinians were flying in to set out overland for Gaza.
    "Closing the crossing caused me many problems; I lost my residency in Jordan and I lost my work in Jordan. Also it caused me many personal problems, I was not able to pay for rent a house in Jordan and I was not able to transfer money out of (Gaza)," said Anas Rajab who was travelling to Jordan via the Rafah crossing.
    Border officials said the new opening would last for three days and some Palestinian sources said it could be extended, although there was no immediate Egyptian confirmation.
    Egypt has occasionally opened Rafah to allow passengers with foreign passports as well as students and hospital patients to travel. Israel, which waged war with Hamas in July and August last year, allows travel between it and Gaza largely only on humanitarian grounds such as relief aid and medical treatment.
    Cairo has accused Hamas, which is close to the Muslim Brotherhood, of helping militants in Egypt's Sinai desert, which borders on Gaza, attack its security forces. Hamas denies this.
    But a decision by an Egyptian court earlier this month to cancel a previous ruling labelling Hamas a terrorist group was praised by Palestinian Islamists and raised speculation that relations between Egypt and Gaza may improve.
    Hamas spokesman in Gaza Fawzi Barhoum told Reuters during a phone call that the opening of the border crossing was a positive sign, and hoped it was a permanent move.
    Gaza officials said 15,000 people had registered to travel via Rafah, including at least 3,000 patients, and hundreds of students who study in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world.
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