RAFAH, Sunday, January 27, 2019 (WAFA) – Egyptian authorities on Sunday opened for one day the Rafah border crossing, on the border with the Gaza Strip, in one direction to allow entry of Palestinian travelers from Egypt into the Gaza Strip.

WAFA correspondent said the crossing was opened in one direction to allow entry of passengers awaiting entry into the Strip, especially humanitarian cases.

The Rafah border crossing was shut down by Egypt on January 5 after the Palestinian Authority pulled out its staff working at the Palestinian side of the border over disputes with Hamas, the de facto authority in Gaza.

The crossing is Gaza‘s only gate to the outside world. Due to the constraints on Palestinian movement through the crossing, many Gazans are commonly barred from leaving or entering the besieged coastal enclave, some for months at times, leaving Palestinians stranded on both sides of the crossing during closures.

M.N