Gaza's Rafah border crossing running under PA control for first time in decade

Egypt opened the crossing on Saturday for three days on a humanitarian basis for the first time since Hamas ceded control of Gaza's crossings to the Palestinian Authority

Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas (R) stand guard outside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, under the control of the Palestinian Authority as its security forces (L) stand guard inside, in the southern Gaza Strip on November 18, 2017, as it opened for three days for the first time since the Palestinian reconciliation deal.
Only humanitarian cases registered with the ministry would be allowed to leave through the crossing, however, with this including up to 20,000 people in the empoverished enclave of two million, he added.
That Egypt-brokered Palestinian reconciliation deal is expected to lead to more regular opening of the Rafah crossing, which had been totally sealed since August 2017, and was largely closed by Cairo for years beforehand. / AFP PHOTO / SAID KHATIB

Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas (right) stand guard outside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, as security forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority stand guard inside (left), in the southern Gaza Strip on November 18, 2017. Said Khatib / AFP

Associated Press

Nov 18, 2017

Gaza's border crossing into Egypt is running under the Palestinian Authority's control for the first time in a decade.

Egypt opened the Rafah crossing point on Saturday for three days on a humanitarian basis for the first time since Hamas ceded control of Gaza's crossings with Israel and Egypt to the PA.

Hamas took control of Gaza by force in 2007, provoking an Israeli-Egyptian blockade that has severely restricted the movement of most of the territory's 2 million inhabitants.

The group withdrew from the crossings on November 1, implementing the first step of an Egyptian-brokered deal to end its rift with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party, which dominates the PA.

Talks are to resume in Cairo this month to discuss the PA's expansion of its rule over Gaza and broader national issues.

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