This content was published on 09 February 2021 – 11:50
Gaza, Feb 9 (EFE) .- The Rafah border crossing, which connects the Gaza Strip with Egypt, reopened indefinitely today, after being closed for almost the entire coronavirus pandemic, reported a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior of the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the enclave.
This crossing, the only exit from Gaza abroad that Israel does not control, opened on rare occasions during the coronavirus crisis and irregularly.
According to a statement released today by Interior, the border crossing will be open in both directions, thus allowing both the departure of Gazans to Egyptian territory and the entry of residents of the enclave stranded on the other side of the crossing.
The decision to reopen Rafah, which closed at the beginning of the pandemic, helping to contain the entry of the coronavirus into the enclave, coincides with the lifting last Thursday of the movement restrictions that had been in place for months and prevented the population from circulating during the night and weekends.
In addition, it also comes a day after the announcement that the strip will receive its first doses of the vaccine against the virus next Sunday.
On the other hand, today’s announcement coincides with a meeting of the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, in Cairo, in which the details of the electoral process announced for the middle of this year are discussed.
“This is an important step to encourage the parties to move towards the resolution of internal divisions,” said Walid al Awad, representative of one of these factions in Cairo, on the reopening of Rafah, which he explained is part of a series of measures agreed during the meeting to alleviate the suffering of the Gazati people during the pandemic. EFE
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