GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- The crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was re-opened Wednesday morning after a four-day closure.
The decision to open was made after Palestinian and Egyptian officials agreed on a set of mechanisms for the passage of Palestinian travelers.
From Wednesday onward, Rafah will open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and allow an average of 550 passengers per day to cross.
The number of passengers was less than the 700 per day requested by the Gaza authorities, but higher than the cap of 400 set after travelers overwhelmed the terminal on its first day of operation on May 28.
Palestinian directors at the Rafah terminal Ayyoub Abu Sha'ar announced the breakthrough Tuesday night, and said travelers on a list of passengers due to cross on the previous Thursday and Saturday would be given priority.
More than three months after former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak resigned following 18 days of massive street protests against his rule, Egypt opened the Rafah terminal for all travelers except men between 18-40, allowing most Gaza residents to travel freely through the border for the first time in five years.
The border had remained largely shut since June 2006 when Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza after militants snatched Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.
Rafah is Gaza's only border crossing not controlled by Israel, and news of Egypt's decision to reopen it was warmly welcomed in the coastal strip and the Egyptian street, though Israel strongly criticized the move.
But less than a week later, Egyptian authorities closed the crossing without informing Palestinian counterparts, frustrated Palestinian officials said, causing chaos as buses of travelers crossed the Palestinian terminal and found the Egyptian gate closed. Dozens of Palestinians tried to storm the Egyptian border on Saturday morning, and the terminal reopened but only for pedestrians.
Palestinian officials said the decision to allow passengers to enter only on foot was difficult to implement as many travelers were elderly or patients needing medical treatment. On Sunday, Palestinian authorities closed the terminal in protest.
On Monday, Egyptian authorities opened the border but the Palestinian side remained closed, amid ongoing talks to re-open the crossing between the Hamas-dominated government in Gaza and the post-Mubarak military government in Egypt.
Palestinian officials have been petitioning the Egyptian authorities to improve coordination, and over a published "blacklist" of 5,000 names, principally Gaza residents currently inside the coastal enclave, who are barred from travel via the crossing with Egypt.
A senior Hamas official said last week that the Palestinians wanted Egypt to allow more travelers to cross each day, speed up operations at the border, decrease waiting times, and agree on regular operating hours.
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