.- The opening of the main crossing from the Gaza Strip with the outside world, scheduled for Saturday, is a long-awaited relief for the population and a significant achievement for Hamas, which governs the Palestinian territory, but highlights the deterioration of relations from Egypt to Israel since the uprising that overthrew Hosni Mubarak in February.
Egypt plans to open the Rafah crossing on its border with Gaza, has worried Israel, which fears that Hamas militants will move more freely to enter and leave the territory largely blocked. Egypt's decision, announced shortly after the fall Mubarak and the military took power, was a drastic change.
Mubarak that Israel regarded as a threat to the Islamic militant Hamas, backed by Iran had collaborated with Israel in imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip, which limited the movement of people greatly. However, that helped to end that ruined the economy of Gaza and profoundly difficult life of its 1.5 million Palestinians, he drew sharp criticism by Mubarak of Egypt and of many in the Arab world.
So far, the blockade imposed to weaken Hamas and prevent the movement of militants and weapons across the border "has allowed only a few Gazans from leaving the coastal strip is densely populated. Egypt gave him permission to cross into Gaza residents only under special conditions, such as students, businesses and the very need of medical attention, and even they had to wait weeks or even months to receive permission to leave Egypt.
The crossing was often closed up by periods. In another Gaza border with Israel, people can cross only in exceptional cases. In recent months, Egypt has allowed some 300 Gazans to Egypt to spend a day, far below the number of people who want to travel. With the opening of Saturday, there will be no official limit on the number of those who can leave the Gaza Strip, although the authorities in Gaza said that Egypt had informed them that the crossing is likely to be able to handle a thousand passengers a day.
However, that number could alleviate the huge backlog of people waiting to cross. "I hope this news means any change in our ability to travel freely," said Samir Saadi, a businessman aged 33, who said he has been waiting for five weeks to get permission to travel through Egypt and come to Dubai.
"The new border agreement is a good step, but more still missing. All we want is freedom of movement, like any other person in the world" added. 
Egypt plans to open the Rafah crossing on its border with Gaza, has worried Israel, which fears that Hamas militants will move more freely to enter and leave the territory largely blocked. Egypt's decision, announced shortly after the fall Mubarak and the military took power, was a drastic change.
Mubarak that Israel regarded as a threat to the Islamic militant Hamas, backed by Iran had collaborated with Israel in imposing a blockade on the Gaza Strip, which limited the movement of people greatly. However, that helped to end that ruined the economy of Gaza and profoundly difficult life of its 1.5 million Palestinians, he drew sharp criticism by Mubarak of Egypt and of many in the Arab world.
So far, the blockade imposed to weaken Hamas and prevent the movement of militants and weapons across the border "has allowed only a few Gazans from leaving the coastal strip is densely populated. Egypt gave him permission to cross into Gaza residents only under special conditions, such as students, businesses and the very need of medical attention, and even they had to wait weeks or even months to receive permission to leave Egypt.
The crossing was often closed up by periods. In another Gaza border with Israel, people can cross only in exceptional cases. In recent months, Egypt has allowed some 300 Gazans to Egypt to spend a day, far below the number of people who want to travel. With the opening of Saturday, there will be no official limit on the number of those who can leave the Gaza Strip, although the authorities in Gaza said that Egypt had informed them that the crossing is likely to be able to handle a thousand passengers a day.
However, that number could alleviate the huge backlog of people waiting to cross. "I hope this news means any change in our ability to travel freely," said Samir Saadi, a businessman aged 33, who said he has been waiting for five weeks to get permission to travel through Egypt and come to Dubai.
"The new border agreement is a good step, but more still missing. All we want is freedom of movement, like any other person in the world" added.
- Relief Flows as Egypt Opens Gaza Border (28/05/2011)
- Egypt Permanently Opens Gaza Border Crossing (28/05/2011)
- Egypt reopens border with Gaza (28/05/2011)
- Egypt permanently opens Gaza border crossing, eases its 4-year blockade of ... - Washington Post (28/05/2011)
- Egypt Opens Gaza Border Crossing at Rafah (28/05/2011)
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