Egypt reopens border crossing with Gaza Strip

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Egypt reopened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Saturday after four days of it being closed, allowing stranded passengers to cross in and out of the Palestinian territory that is controlled by the Islamist Hamas group.

Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has ruled Gaza since 2007 and has an uneasy relationship with Egypt's new army-backed leadership, which toppled the elected Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, a Hamas ally, last month.

Thousands of Palestinians, including students and patients seeking medical treatment, have been unable to travel to Egypt since the Rafah border crossing was shut and hundreds wanting to return home have been stranded outside the Gaza Strip.

Israel cites security concerns and allows only a small number of Gazans through its land crossing with the territory, mainly for medical treatment, making Rafah the only window to the outside world for most of the enclave's 1.7 million people.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/08/24/uk-egypt-gaza-border-idUKBRE97N03U20130824