• 23:08
  • Tuesday ,18 August 2015
العربية

Egypt opens Rafah crossing for three days

By-Ahram

Home News

00:08

Tuesday ,18 August 2015

Egypt opens Rafah crossing for three days

Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza strip earlier Monday for three days in both directions, Reuters' Aswat Masriya reported.

An official source working at the Rafah crossing told Aswat Masriya that the crossing was open to allow Palestinians and those requiring medical care to pass in both directions. 
 
On Saturday, state-owned MENA reported that the Egyptian authorities would open the Rafah border crossing from Monday until Thursday. 
 
Egyptian authorities have kept the Rafah crossing closed since October, following Islamist militant attacks in Egypt's North Sinai which have left over 30 security personnel dead.
 
The authorities would open it from time to time for three days, allowing the passage of those needing medical care in Egypt as well Palestinians traveling in both directions.
 
Cairo has accused the Islamist movement Hamas, the de facto rulers of the Gaza Strip, of aiding militant groups in northern Sinai.
 
Hamas has repeatedly denied those accusations. 
 
Hamas leading figure Ismail Haniyah is going to visit Cairo next Tuesday, according to a Sunday report from Palestinian news agency "Napa.”