Gaza Border

[Merlin]

Hope this is a long term opening as a result of better political climate.

Egypt opens Gaza border

45 min ago GAZA CITY (AFP) — Egypt opened its border with Gaza on Saturday to traffic into and out of the impoverished territory which has been under an Israeli blockade for nearly two years, security officials said.

"Crossings have been authorised in both directions for humanitarian reasons following a decision by the Egyptian and Hamas authorities," a security offcial from the Islamist movement that controls Gaza told AFP.

Egypt has consistently rejected pressure to open its border with the Gaza Strip permanently, insisting it can only do so when the authority of Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has been restored.

But Egypt has opened the border on a temporary basis several times since Israel launched a devastating offensive against the territory at the turn of the year. ....

[Merlin]

The border crossing will be opened for two days only, see below.

Egypt partly opens Gaza borders for desperate travelers

GAZA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Egypt on Saturday opened its borders with the Gaza Strip partly to allow the departure of humanitarian cases from the Hamas-controlled territory, Hamas authorities said.

A statement by Hamas interior ministry said that the crossing will remain open for two days, adding that only patients, students and holders of foreign passports and residence permits are allowed to leave.

The Hamas authorities arrange the departure of the cases by asking them to apply in advance to book a place in the busses that Hamas will send to the Egyptian side of Rafah crossing point. ...

[Merlin]

It is a big sigh of relief for the people and hospitals in Gaza.

Gazans experience moment of relief

17 May [PressTV] Under intense international pressure, Egypt has temporarily opened the Rafah border-crossing, allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

The impoverished enclave which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for nearly two years -- even during the three weeks of Tel Aviv's non-stop military pounding of the region -- experienced momentary relief when aid cargoes were allowed in on Saturday.

"Crossings have been authorized in both directions for humanitarian reasons following a decision by the Egyptian and Hamas authorities," a security official from the Hamas movement that controls Gaza was quoted by AFP as saying.

Despite being under constant pressure from international bodies - including the United Nations - to permanently open Gaza's only border-crossing which bypasses Israel, Cario has been assisting Tel Aviv in maintaining the costal sliver under siege.

Egypt, on occasions, has even gone so far as to order its border guards to shoot Gazans who attempt to seek refuge on its soil.

Battered by months of an Israeli-imposed blockade coupled with an all-out Israeli strike, which left over 1,330 Palestinians killed and thousands of others wounded, the Gaza Strip is faced with a dire 'humanitarian catastrophe'.

Gaza hospitals are left with insufficient medical supplies, and as a result many patients have lost their lives, sparking an outcry among the Gaza sick.

The war-ravaged enclaver has been under blockade since Hamas physically took over the territory in June 2007, following a plot by the rival Fatah to topple its democratically-elected government. ...