By Aswat Masriya Egyptian authorities allowed 162 Palestinians to pass through the Rafah border crossing, in both ways, on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the state-owned MENA news agency. Egypt announced the crossing would remain open for two days on Wednesday for the first time in 104 days, in what was to be an “exceptional” case. Egyptian authorities infrequently opened the border one-way only, for Palestinians wishing to cross from Egypt into Gaza. The 36 Palestinans wishing to travel abroad, after crossing from Gaza, were accompanied by a representative of the Palestinian embassy in Egypt and Egyptian security personnel. Those who crossed from Egypt to Gaza did so shortly after their arrival at the Cairo airport. To be able to exit, Gaza residents must meet Egypt’s criteria, which includes only medical patients with a referral, students, and others who have foreign residency or are holders of foreign passports. According to the Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, Rafah was closed for a total of 306 days throughout the course of 2015. The only other way outside of Gaza is through the Erez crossing, which is controlled by Israel. When…
Egypt Allows 162 Palestinians to Pass Rafah Crossing After Months of Closure
December 4, 2015
