The Egyptian government should continue to ease restrictions on the Rafah border crossing and open it to commerce, said Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Maan News Agency reported that during a celebration on Wednesday marking the completion of the first phase of development work on the border crossing, Haniyeh demanded that existing restrictions on the border be lifted and the passage of merchandise to and from Gaza be allowed.
In addition, Hamas would like to develop more projects to signal the start of a new phase of development in Gaza, the prime minister added.
Haniyeh commended the Egyptian government’s efforts in improving the Rafah crossing by increasing working hours and the number of passengers allowed through the crossing. He stressed the important role that Egyptian people, army and political leaders play in supporting the Palestinian cause.
The Rafah border crossing had been closed in 2007 after Hamas took control of Gaza, home to roughly 1.5 million Palestinians. Under former President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt only sporadically opened the crossing to allow the transport of medical supplies or to allow individuals to enter the country for medical treatment or studies.
Since the 25 January revolution, Egypt adopted a new policy of opening the border daily, except on holidays.
These steps are “on the right path,” Haniyeh said, but he called for keeping the border open 24 hours a day during the week.
Haniyeh called for establishing a free trade zone on the Egypt-Palestine border to allow for easy access to goods and to facilitate trade between the two countries. He also suggested that Egypt get involved in investment projects that would help to stimulate the Palestinian economy.
The first phase of developing the border crossing included the construction of an arrival and departure hall. This phase, which cost more than US$1 million, was funded by the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, in collaboration with Islamic Relief Worldwide.
