Egypt opened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip for a second day.
Hundreds of people passed between Gaza and Egypt Saturday and Sunday, including Palestinians seeking medical treatment abroad, students and foreign visa holders, Israel Radio reported Sunday.
Israel has closed Gaza to all but some humanitarian aid since Hamas came to power in June 2007. Egypt closed its borders at the same time, causing thousands of Palestinian-Egyptian citizens to be stuck in Gaza.
The crossing, which was opened as a goodwill gesture before the start of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, will close again Sunday night.
Israel said Rafah should not be opened until progress is made on releasing kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, who was kidnapped more than two years ago by Hamas and is thought to be held in Gaza, AFP reported. Egypt is currently mediating with Hamas for Shalit’s release.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
