RAFAH, Gaza Strip - After a four-year blockade, Egypt on Saturday permanently opened the Gaza StripÂ’s main gateway to the outside world, bringing long-awaited relief to the territoryÂ’s Palestinian population and a significant achievement for the areaÂ’s ruling Hamas militant group.
The reopening of the Rafah border crossing eases an Egyptian blockade that has prevented the vast majority of GazaÂ’s 1.5 million people from being able to travel abroad. The closure, along with an Israeli blockade of its borders with Gaza, has fueled an economic crisis in the densely populated territory. But SaturdayÂ’s move also raises Israeli fears that militants will be able to move freely in and out of Gaza.
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007. The closure, which also included tight Israeli restrictions at its cargo crossings with Gaza and a naval blockade, was meant to weaken Hamas, an Islamic militant group that opposes peace with Israel.
Since the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in February, EgyptÂ’s new leadership has vowed to ease the blockade and improve relations with Hamas.
The Rafah border terminal has functioned at limited capacity for months. Travel has been restricted to certain classes of people, such as students, businessmen or medical patients, and the crossing was often subject to closures. Travel through IsraelÂ’s passenger crossing with Gaza is extremely rare.
Under the new system, most restrictions are being lifted, and a much larger number of Palestinians are expected to be able to cross each day, easing a backlog that can force people to wait for months. |