RAFAH, GAZA STRIP, December 10, 2016 (WAFA) – The Egyptian authorities opened Saturday Rafah crossing with Gaza to allow humanitarian cases and travellers stranded on both sides of the border to cross, according to travellers.

They said the border crossing was opened in the morning and buses started transporting ill people seeking treatment outside Gaza, students studying abroad and holders of residency papers in other countries to leave Gaza toward Egypt.

The official Egyptian news agency MENA said on Thursday that the border will be open in both directions for three days starting Saturday.

The Gaza Strip has been under Israeli sea, land and air siege since 2007. It residents who want to travel for any reason can  do so only through Rafah crossing with Egypt, which is rarely open and when it is travel is allowed for certain cases only, and the Israeli controlled Erez (Beit Hanoun0 crossing, which requires the rarely granted Israeli military permit to cross.

M.K.