Egypt to open Rafah crossing after 85 days of closure

Egyptian authorities will open the Rafah border crossing on an exceptional basis tomorrow and Thursday, after 85 days of closure, the Palestinian interior ministry in Gaza said.

The ministry was informed by Egypt that the border crossing will be opened for two days, spokesperson Iyad Al-Bazm said.

More than 30,000 Palestinians are registered with the interior ministry for travel, most of whom have medical conditions or are students or holders of residence permits in other countries, Al-Bazm added.

He urged the Egyptian authorities to extend the period during which the Rafah crossing would remain open, adding that two days are not enough to ease the situation for Gaza’s residents who need to travel, especially after the crossing has been closed for a long time.

Egypt has only opened the crossing for three days this year. It was closed for 344 days in 2015.