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(excerpt from) The Guardian UK
Egypt to open Gaza border crossing
…Hundreds of Palestinians are expected to head to the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Saturday to take advantage of the first free passage out of the blockaded territory in almost four years.
The opening of the Rafah crossing was agreed by Egypt as part of the reconciliation deal it brokered between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah last month.
Men aged between 18 and 40 will be excluded from leaving Gaza without an entry visa to Egypt. All others will be able to pass without restrictions. The Rafah crossing will be open from 9am until 5pm daily, excluding Fridays.
Access into and out of Gaza has been highly restricted since Hamas took control of the territory in June 2007. Exit to Egypt has been sporadic and largely limited to people needing medical treatment and students. Many Gazans have family and business connections in Egypt, and a rush of people attempting to cross the border is expected…
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said the opening of Rafah, while appreciated, “is not an alternative to the core issue, which is lifting the Israeli closure imposed on the Gaza Strip, opening crossings for commercial transactions and allowing the freedom of movement of persons … through the outlets that are controlled by the Israeli occupation forces”.
The Rafah crossing will only be open to the movement of people, not commercial traffic…
Filed under: international politics, News, politics, progressive politics Tagged: | Egypt, Gaza, Gaza blockade, Palestine, Rafah Border Crossing
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