EGYPT EXTENDS OPERATION OF RAFAH CROSSING FOR TWO DAYS
Maher Abu Sabha, Manager of Border Crossings Administration, told ALRAY that “the Egyptian side officially informed the [crossings] administration of the opening of Rafah crossing on Wednesday and Thursday,”
Abu Sabha said “three buses have been allowed into the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing so far,” ALRAY, Palestinian Media Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday part-time according to the usual schedule: from 9am to 3pm local time.
362 people crossed into Egypt on Tuesday, while 25 were turned back by the Egyptian authorities without citing reasons, according to Abu Sabha.
“The 362 left Gaza were on board three buses and 13 ambulances; 234 people entered the Palestinian territory on the same day,” he added.
The operations have been going on a slow pace due to the recurring malfunction of the computer network at the Egyptian crossing, he noted.
Since the Egyptian military’s ouster of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, Egypt has tightened control over the border with the besieged Gaza Strip.
The military has launched a wide-ranging campaign to destroy the network of tunnels linking the strip to Egypt, which has led to a severe fuel shortage and lack of vital commodities used to be smuggled into the coastal enclave.
Gaza has been living in a semi-complete darkness since the shutting down of Gaza power plant in early July with a six hours on and 12 off schedule.
It has stopped working following a Ramallah government decision to levy taxes on the fuel shipments bought from Israel to run the only plant which covers third of the Gaza needs of electricity. (T/P02/E1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
