TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Egyptian Government has temporarily re-opened the land border crossing at Rafah on Wednesday, November 26, 2014, which allows stranded Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in the beleaguered Gaza Strip. That said, the border crossing remains closed for traffic heading from Gaza towards Egypt.
The Rafah border crossing is one of the crucial lifelines which connects Gaza residents to the outside world. It was closed off in October 25 after a militant Islamist attack in Sinai, Egypt, killed 33 security officials at the border. The incident was noted to be one of the worst outbreak of violence since former President Mohammed Morsi was ousted from his post in July 2013.
At least 6,000 Palestinians became stranded in Egypt after the border crossing was closed off over a month ago, and more than 1,000 residents are faced with a humanitarian crisis as Palestinian refugees are not eligible for medical care provided by the Egyptian government.
Reuters reported on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 that the Egyptian government will allow one-way access through Rafah border crossing for several hours. "The border will be opened from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. local time on Wednesday and from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time on Thursday," said an announcement aired through the Egyptian state television, as quoted by Reuters.
It is known that the border crossing in Rafah is the only gateway into the Gaza Strip which has not been blockaded by Israeli forces. The Gaza Strip is largely controlled by Hamas, a militant group with close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, which ousted-President Morsi was a member of. As a result, the tension between Hamas and the ruling regime in Egypt is running at a high.
Following a string of attacks in Egypt last month, its' government has decided to step up its' military operation in the Sinai area. The Egyptian government has also planned to demolish populated areas near the border to create a buffer zone between its' territories and the Gaza Strip, which is aimed to prevent arms smuggling from Egypt into Gaza, and vice versa.
The 50-day conflict that broke out between Hamas and Israel between June-August has almost completely decimated Gaza Strip into oblivion, displacing thousands of Palestinians and forcing them to seek refuge in a number of neighbouring countries.
REUTERS | ROSALINA
