Egypt to keep Rafah crossing open all Ramadan

Egypt has announced that it will open the Rafah crossing throughout the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, to allow Palestinians in Gaza access to the outside world.

“I have instructed the concerned bodies to take the necessary steps to continue the opening of the Rafah border crossing throughout the holy month of Ramadan, in order to ease the burden on the brothers in the Gaza Strip,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said in post on his official Facebook page.

Last Friday, Egypt announced the opening of the crossing in both directions for four days, starting on Saturday, before announcing last Monday that it would keep the border open, according to local media.

The Rafah border crossing between the besieged Gaza Strip and Egypt has been almost completely closed since Al-Sisi overthrew his predecessor in a military coup in July 2013. It opens for short periods usually only to allow patients to access treatment in Egypt or further afield.

Read: Thousands trapped in Gaza as Egypt closes the Rafah crossing again