Egypt opens the Rafah crossing temporarily after several months of closure, (1) though a permanent opening still appears a long way off (4). Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbbas met briefly with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak outside of Athens (2). Gaza crossings are closed again as rockets fall in southern Israel (3). B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group warns that the West Bank is looking at a serious water shortage in the near future (6).