Egypt temporarily reopens Rafah border crossing

Egyptian authorities have temporarily reopened the Rafah border crossing with the besieged Gaza Strip after more than a week of closure.

The crossing was reopened on Saturday, allowing travelers to cross from Gaza into Egypt and vice versa for only two days, and four hours each day.

The border was closed down by Egypt’s military due to a crackdown on militants in the Sinai Peninsula, near the border with the Palestinian coastal enclave.

Gaza officials said the temporary reopening did not allow a large number of students to leave for Egypt.

Rafah border crossing is the only way out of the strip for Palestinians, who have been suffering a crippling Israeli blockade for years.

Tel Aviv further tightened the siege in 2007, shortly after Palestinian resistance movement Hamas came to power in general elections.

The on-and-off closure and reopening of the Rafah border crossing, the only access to Gaza that is not controlled by Israel, has strained the lives of many who depend on this gateway.