More than 7,000 Palestinians Waiting for Rafah to Open

Gaza, MINA – More than 7,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are waiting for the opening of the Rafah crossing border so they can leave for medical or other humanitarian needs.

While Palestinians on the Egyptian side of the crossing, either from Egypt or other countries want to return to their families in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Information Center (PIP), the closure of the Rafah crossing had been occurred for 65 consecutive days.

The Egyptian government closed the Rafah crossing on November 27 at the end of last year after opening for only three days specifically from two directions.

At that time, the Israeli occupation authorities only allowed 2,696 people to leave the Gaza Strip and 829 people to enter the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, as many as 223 other people were refused entry and exit.

Since mid-March last year, the Egyptian government opened the Rafah crossing not fully or around 88 days a year.

The Rafah crossing was closed on the grounds of preventing the spread of the coronavirus. In fact, Egypt has opened land, air and sea crossings for other countries.

Last Monday, the spokesman for the interior ministry in the Gaza Strip, Eyad Bazam, said his ministry was waiting for Egyptian government approval to open the Rafah land crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.

He added that communication with the Egyptian side was still continuing but nothing until this moment.

The Rafah crossing is the only access road for coastal residents in the Gaza Strip, which number more than 2.2 million residents. (T/R7/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)