By Xinhua,
Cairo : Egyptian authorities on Tuesday temporarily opened the Rafah crossing at its border with the Palestinian territories of the Gaza Strip for Palestinians stranded at both sides, the official MENA news agency reported.
Some 50 Palestinians, including patients, students and workers, have already crossed into Egypt, a well-placed source at the crossing was quoted as saying.
The Palestinian side has asked Egypt to open the border crossing for three days, said the source.
More Palestinians are expected to enter Egypt in the following two days, while Palestinians who received medical treatment in Egypt will return to Gaza on July 3, the source added.
Israel closed the Rafah crossing since June 2006 when Palestinian militants kidnapped an Israeli soldier from his base outside Gaza, but it allowed weekly opening of the crossings.
The Rafah crossing, the only Gaza passage to the outside world that bypasses Israel, was completely closed in June 2007 when Hamas routed security forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and took over Gaza by force.
According to a U.S.-brokered deal in 2005, Abbas’ presidential guard forces were in charge of security at the crossing in addition to European Union (EU) monitors. The two parties left the crossing following Hamas bloody takeover of Gaza.
In some occasions, Egypt opened the crossing for patients and some Hamas leaders who leave for talks in Cairo.