Egypt Opens Rafah Border Crossing with Gaza Strip, Partly Ending Israeli Blockade
Rafah Border Crossing
Transitional military government which rules Egypt agreed to open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza Strip, thus making possible for Gazans to cross into Egypt, and then into the West Bank or anywhere they please.
This measure partially ends the blockade imposed on Gaza in 2007 by Israel, and enforced by the regime of Hosni Mubarak, when Hamas, an Islamist organization deemed as terrorist by Israel, won elections democratically.
Gaza Strip has been closed ever since, and the people in the region were helped by different donations, mainly by the Islamic people all over the world, organized in associations that sent humanitarian flotillas like the one involved in the violent incident between the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara and the Israeli Defense Force on May 31, 2010, when nine Turk nationals were killed and a political turmoil was unleashed.
Rafah Crossing Border
As a result of ending the blockade, Gazans are now permitted to travel into Egypt, and from there wherever they want to.
Still, men between 18 and 40 must have a special permission from the Egyptian authorities.
Even so, the decision of the Egyptian authorities is a great chance for a territory of 1.5 million people, and for that matter it is the only chance so far to get in and out of their territory and work.
The news is seen by Gazans as a huge opportunity to reunite with members of their families living in the West Bank or anywhere else.
However, it would seem that, according to some economic analysts, it does not mean that the Gazan economy would recover any time soon, because the opening of the crossing is for people only, not for goods.
The entry points opened by Israel since 2007 were only for goods considered humanitarian help, and that made it compulsory for the Gazans to smuggle in and out of their territory goods by means of some tunnels, which seem to stay opened for business for the time being.
The fact that the Egyptians have opened the border crossing is seen by Israel with concern, because Israeli authorities think this could help Hamas bring in weapons.
Israel could also benefit from this decision, because improving the life conditions of Gazans would take some of the political pressure off its shoulders.
Map of Palestinian Territories
These changes in the political landscape of the Middle East are determined by the unrest all over the Arab world, that led to the oust of the regime in countries like Egypt.
Furthermore, a few weeks earlier, as a result of the volatile situation in Syria, which left Hamas without external support, the two leading forces of Palestinians, Fatah and Hamas, reached an agreement and are expected to work together towards establishing a state for all Palestinians.
