Egypt to open Rafah Crossing on Saturday

CAIRO – 17 November 2017: Egyptian authorities declared Thursday the opening of Rafah Crossing in both directions for four days, starting from Saturday, to allow the passage of students and humanitarian cases.

The decision came amid tensions in the Middle East after U.S. Donald Trump’s announcement to recognize Jerusalem the “eternal” capital of Israel, a decision which has attracted a huge regional and international backlash, criticizing the decision as “unilateral” and not serving the sake of the peace process.

The last time the border was opened was in November, following an October reconciliation agreement signed in Cairo between the rival Palestinian movements Fatah and Hamas. A Palestinian National Authority assumed control of the Gaza Strip as of December 1, as per the agreement.