Cairo: Egypt has extended the operation of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip which opened on Monday in view of the growing number of Palestinians wishing to leave or enter the Hamas-controlled enclave.
The crossing remained open today as large numbers of people were seeking passage to Egypt.
Egyptian officials say additional employees have been sent to Rafah to deal with the large numbers of Palestinians seeking entry to Egypt, while more ambulance and doctors were made available to examine patients wishing to travel to hospitals.
Egypt has been repeatedly criticised by the Arab nations for not opening the Rafah crossing for Palestinians during the Israeli incursion in December 2008.
The Gaza Strip has remained under an Israeli blockade since the radical Islamist Hamas group came to power more than two years ago. Its 1.5 million residents suffer from severe shortages of medicine, food and fuel.
After the situation in Gaza considerably calmed down, Egypt has been opening the border crossing occasionally for certain categories of Palestinians and foreigners.
Many intellectuals and political figures in Egypt had asked people to gather in Rafah and storm the border so as to let the world know that it is the Egyptian government`s decision, and not the people`s, to withhold aid from Palestinians.
Bureau Report
