GAZA - GazaÂ’s Rafah international gateway reopened on Friday after being closed for more than seven hours due to an Israeli security alert, officials said. The alert had prevented European monitors from travelling to the Rafah terminal.The crossing with Egypt was also closed on Wednesday and part of Thursday after the Israeli army shut the nearby Kerem Shalom passage into southern Gaza, warning of a possible attack. Monitors use the passage to get to Rafah. An Israeli army spokeswoman said the monitors could have gotten to Rafah by entering through another crossing point. But the monitors say Rafah cannot reopen unless a liaison office located at Kerem Shalom is up-and-running.
| "Nope, nope, can't do it, nope." |
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas accused Israel of closing the crossing “to put more pressure on the Palestinian people.” “The Europeans should return to their jobs and the work should be resumed,” he said.
| And it looks like the pressure is working. |