Egypt to reopen border with Gaza for 2 days
Palestinian diplomat says Cairo to reopen Rafah crossing to allow hundreds of stranded on both sides to cross
Amr told reporters in Cairo on Monday that Palestinians who need medical treatment will be allowed into Egypt, as well as those with residency permits in Egypt or elsewhere. Palestinians returning from abroad will also be allowed into Gaza from Egypt.
The move follows talks on Sunday between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egypt's chief of intelligence Omar Suleiman on the Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.
An Egyptian television station reported that the crossing would be opened in order to allow the exit of patients and people carrying special permits, such as students. However, understandings have not been reached yet regarding a permanent operation of the crossing.
Egypt continues to draw a link between the opening of the crossing and the success of the truce and the talks aimed at securing the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.
Israeli officials have promised Shalit's family that the crossing would remain closed. The head of the Defense Ministry's Security-Diplomatic Bureau, Major-General (Res.) Amos Gilad told Noam Shalit that the kidnappers have no interest in smuggling his son out of Gaza and into Egypt.
"As far as they're concerned, the Strip is a far better hiding place. If they had wanted to smuggle him out, they would have done so long ago through the tunnels," he said.
Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai instructed the army to reopen all the other crossings on Sunday. Following the decision, some 80 trucks filled with equipment crossed into the Gaza Strip through the Sufa crossing. The Nahal Oz fuel terminal was opened on Friday for the transfer of a limited amount of fuel.
