Palestinians wait for travel permits to enter Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip City of Khan Younis, on May 12, 2018. The Egyptian authorities have decided on Friday to reopen Rafah border crossing in both directions from Saturday to Tuesday, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported Friday. (Xinhua/Khaled Omar)
CAIRO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian authorities have decided on Friday to reopen Rafah border crossing in both directions from Saturday to Tuesday, Egypt's official MENA news agency reported Friday.
They announced that the opening will facilitate the movement of Palestinians wishing to leave or enter Gaza.
After the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the Egyptian government occasionally reopens the Rafah crossing for humanitarian cases, allowing the entry only of medical patients, students in foreign countries and holders of foreign visas and passports.
The terminal is the only window to about two million Palestinians to the outside world.
Gaza has two other crossings with Israel, but they are subject to tight restrictions since Islamic Hamas movement, an offshoot of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, violently took over Gaza in 2007 after routing forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority.
