Rafah Crossing opens to allow Gazans in Egypt go home

Palestinians wait in line to cross to Egypt following the opening of Rafah border gate in Khan Yunis, Gaza on 12 April 2018 [Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency]

Egyptian authorities decided yesterday to open the Rafah Crossing to let Palestinians stuck in Cairo International Airport go back to Gaza, Quds Press reported.

Twenty passengers who had been in the airport since the middle of April returned to Gaza.

On 14 April the crossing closed after being opened for just three days and some 30,000 who urgently needed to travel from Gaza could not leave.

Read: Israel asked Egypt to prevent body of slain Palestinian returning to Gaza

Since the start of 2018 Egypt has opened the crossing for just 12 days. Throughout 2017 it was opened for 20 days.

The last time the crossing was open Egyptian forces kidnapped a Palestinian and have refused to reveal the reasons why or release any details of his whereabouts.

The Rafah Crossing is the only terminal between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, which has been under strict Israeli siege for more than 11 years.

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