EgyptPalestine

Ease of Gaza blockade, first fruits of Egyptian revolution: Iranian general


The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces on Tuesday hailed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s decision to extend the opening hours of the Rafah border crossing.

“The opening of the crossing came as a partial relief to the oppressed people of Palestine, and the (ease) of the Gaza blockade is the first fruits of the Islamic revolution of Egypt bestowed upon the world’s freethinkers,” Major General Hassan Firouzabadi stated.

“The opening of the crossing was an aspiration of Muslims,” he added.

Firouzabadi also stated, “We advise Egypt’s high military council to embrace democracy in the country and to not further weaken Egypt’s brave army… through provoking clashes with the people for political reasons.”

According to Reuters, Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, said on Saturday that Egypt has agreed to keep the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip open for a full 12 hours every day.

Haniyeh added that in addition to allowing the border to remain open an extra four hours, Egypt agreed to increase the number of Palestinians allowed to cross by about a third, to 1,500 a day.

The decision on the crossing came after Haniyeh met Morsi in Cairo this week. Officials have also committed to increase the flow of fuel supplied to Gaza via Egypt.

An Egyptian official confirmed the decision, but added that it would take time before the crossing was ready to handle the increased traffic.

It will be the first time the Rafah crossing will be open for so many hours since 2005, when Israel was still occupying Gaza. But Israel pulled out its troops and settlers that year, and there has been a power struggle in Gaza ever since.

Back to top button