President Sisi orders Rafah crossing opened throughout Ramadan

CAIRO – 18 May 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi directed Thursday to take the necessary measures to keep the Rafah border crossing open throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

“I issued directives to take the necessary measures to keep the Rafah border crossing open throughout the holy month of Ramadan in a bid to relieve some of the burdens suffered by our brothers in the Gaza strip,” the Egyptian leader posted on Facebook and Twitter.

أصدرت توجيهاتى للأجهزة المعنية بإتخاذ ما يلزم لإستمرار فتح معبر رفح البرى طوال شهر رمضان المبارك وذلك ضماناً لتخفيف الأعباء عن الأشقاء فى قطاع غزه#تحيا_مصر

— Abdelfattah Elsisi (@AlsisiOfficial) May 17, 2018

On May 14, Egypt dispatched humanitarian aid, food, relief and medical supplies to Gaza while keeping the Rafah crossing open for individuals and those injured in the Israeli attacks on the strip.

Minister of Health Ahmed Emad Eddine he has been "instructed by the political leadership" to receive the Palestinians injured during the Israeli aggression and treat them in Egyptian hospitals.

This crossing is mainly specialized for individual movements across borders, and was being prepared for the transfer of goods between the two courtiers.

The importance of Rafah border crossing increased after Israeli forces destroyed the Yasser Arafat International Airport in 2001; which was the only airport allowing Palestinians to travel.

Palestinian authorities thanked Egypt for continuously opening the crossing in a statement issued February 21, stressing that the decision represents the Egyptian government’s keenness to ease the Palestinian people’s suffering.