Egypt opens Gaza border for first time since unity deal
18 November 2017 - 12H59 GMT/UTC/ZULU TIME
by Nasra Ismail and Biodun Iginla, France24, Gaza City, Palestine
? AFP | A Red Crescent ambulance waits to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing after Egypt reopened it for three days on November 18, 2017
GAZA CITY, Palestine -
Play
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration Time
0:00
Progress: 0%
0:00
Fullscreen
00:00
Mute
Egypt opened its largely sealed border with Gaza on Saturday for the first time since a reconciliation agreement saw the Palestinian Authority take control of the crossing from Hamas.
A Palestinian official at the Rafah crossing said it had opened at 0700 GMT and was expected to stay open for three days.
"Egypt will open the crossing for humanitarian cases registered with the interior ministry," the official said, adding that civilian and security personnel on the Palestinian side were all employees of the reconciliation government headed by Rami Hamdallah.
Up to 20,000 people from Gaza have applied to enter Egypt. during the brief reopening.
Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip had been totally sealed since August, and was largely closed for years before that.
Under the terms of a Palestinian reconciliation agreement reached last month, Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas are supposed to cede civil power to the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority by December 1.
As a first step, they handed over control of its border crossings on November 1.
The Egypt-brokered deal is expected to lead to more regular opening of the Rafah crossing.
The head of the Palestinian Authority's security services Majid Faraj held talks with senior Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Friday.
All Palestinian factions are due to meet in Cairo next week to discuss ways to move the reconciliation deal forward.
Both Israel and Egypt have maintained blockades of Gaza for years, arguing that they are necessary to isolate Hamas.
PROMOTED STORIES
- [Gallery] Chelsea From Two And A Half Men Is Completely Different In Real Life
- Worldation
- Size Matters! Tips for Keeping Your Breast Healthy
- Health Central
- The Link Between Dementia and Cows
- howtoprotectyourbrain.com
- Python Eats A Crocodile Whole Then The Unexpected Happens
- theBrofessional.net
ON FRANCE 24 AND RFI
- Kid Rock ends speculation of US senate bid
- Shootouts in Brazil enter sixth day in Rio favela
- Italy fail to reach World Cup after being held to 0-0 draw by Sweden
- Did the EU take its first step towards a common European army? - Europe
- Federer opens campaign with win over Sock at ATP Tour Finals - Sports
FROM THE WEB
- US Navy's Super Carrier Worth 13 Billion is Making Waves HistoryInOrbit.com
- You Should Never Shop on Amazon Without This Trick—Here's Why Honey
- 87% Americans Can't Name These Infamous Dictators, Can You? Hooch
- Harry's Razors: Do They Live Up To The Hype?Harry's
- [Gallery] Nadia Comaneci's Brave Confession Stuns Her Fans Worldation
Posted by Biodun Iginla at 4:37 AM Email This
Labels: Egypt, france24, Gaza border, hamas, israel, Nasra Ismail and Biodun Iginla,Palestinian Authority, Rafah crossing, Rami Hamdallah