Egyptian Authorities on Wednesday morning opened the Rafah border crossing between Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip for a 24-hour period. The crossing was only opened to passengers entering the strip from Egypt, however, and not vise versa.
According to officials, the decision was taken to allow Palestinians that had received medical treatment in Egyptian hospitals to return home.
Gazans met the decision with demonstrations in which they demanded the crossing be opened to two-way traffic.
The flash-point Rafah border crossing has remained tightly sealed for the most part ever since Palestinian resistance faction Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in a preemptive coup in 2007.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
