Egyptian authorities have opened the Rafah border crossing in both directions on Tuesday.
This is the first time the border is opened in both directions since a deadly attack on a military checkpoint in Rafah killed 16 Egyptian security officers.
On Friday, the border was opened from Egypt into Gaza.
At 10 am 50 persons arrived in Egypt from Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency.
The agency added that most of these persons are sick Palestinians being treated in Egypt, as well as students who study in Egypt.
The Interior Ministry in Gaza said in a statement that only those who have residency in Egypt and sick Palestinians could enter Egypt.
The statement added that “the Egyptian side informed the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Interior in Gaza that it would only allow the ill and students to enter Egypt for three days.”
Authorities at Cairo International Airport allowed 79 Palestinian pilgrims to enter the country from Saudi Arabia on Sunday after they performing the Umra pilgrimage.
Reuters reported that Hamas, stunned by Egypt’s closure of the border, said Monday the new Islamist leadership in Cairo was imposing the same pains on the territory as former President Hosni Mubarak.
“We suffered from the unjust regime of Mubarak that participated in the [Israeli] blockade of Gaza. Why should we suffer now in the era of Egypt’s revolution and democracy?” Reuters quoted Hamas Interior Minister Fathy Hammad as saying.
