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Rafah crossing opens for only 19 days so far this year

Xinhua, November 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Rafah crossing is a key entry and exit point for the Gazans. However, it was open for just 19 days all together since the start of the year, said the Crossings and Borders Corporation of the Palestinian Interior Ministry in the coastal enclave on Monday.

Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza In 2007 after Islamic Hamas movement forcibly grabbed the rule in the Strip. The crossing has been completely shut down since the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Back in 2013 and 2014, the border was open for 263 days and 123 days respectively. This year only 21,295 people traveled through the border, while that number was 101,442 in 2014.

The Interior Ministry said that more than 25,000 people of the "humanitarian cases" from Gaza have registered for travel needs, including those who suffer illness, and been waiting for the crossing to open.

It called on Egypt to look into these humanitarian cases, and to permanently open the crossing.

Earlier, a Fatah official announced that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) reached a deal with Egypt to facilitate the opening of Rafah crossing.

Fatah Central Committee member Azzam al-Ahmad told Xinhua that the agreement was made to open the crossing "to the maximum possible extent to allow entry for individuals and necessary goods to Gaza."

Al-Ahmad didn't specify the details of the agreement but said it was made during the last meeting between the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo.

However, Hamas spokesperson Ghazi Hamad told Xinhua that his movement didn't receive any official agreement or vision regarding the opening of the crossing, stating his party's willingness to eliminate any factor that could be obstructing opening the crossing.

President Sisi announced after meeting Abbas in Nov. 8 that the PNA's return to Gaza and its supervision over the Rafah crossing according to the international agreements would have "positive" outcomes on the regularity of opening the crossing.

Hamas rejected the proposal, saying Palestinian national reconciliation shouldn't be limited to administrating the borders with the Gaza Strip. Endit