14 November 2016•Update: 14 November 2016
By Ola Atallah and Hani al-Shaer
Gaza Strip, Palestine
Egyptian authorities on Monday reopened the Rafah border crossing with the blockaded Gaza Strip.
In a statement, Gaza’s border crossing authority said the terminal will remain open in both directions for five days.
It said students, medical patients and holders of foreign residence permits will be allowed to cross the border terminal during the five-day period.
Egypt’s official agency MENA said the crossing was opened “upon instructions from President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi”.
According to Gaza’s border crossing authority, around 20,000 “humanitarian cases” are registered to cross the Rafah crossing.
Fully blockaded by Israel since 2007, when Palestinian group Hamas wrested control of the territory, the Gaza Strip has seven border crossings linking it to the outside world.
Six of these are controlled by Israel, while the seventh -- at Rafah -- is controlled by Egypt, which has kept the border sealed for the most part since a 2013 military coup.
