CAIRO: Egypt will temporarily reopen the Rafah border crossing with Gaza next week to allow Palestinians to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah, or lesser pilgrimage. For Muslims, performing the umrah in the fasting month of Ramadan holds special significance and as such Mecca is at its fullest during this month aside from the days for hajj, the greater pilgrimage. The decision to reopen the crossing came at the behest of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who requested that Rafah be opened to allow the pilgrims to go through, as it is the only conduit not under direct Israeli control. "The gesture [to open the crossing] reflects Egypt s keenness on providing a pleasant atmosphere for their besieged Palestinian brethren and creating a favorable climate for the restart of Palestinian national dialogue, the MENA news agency reported. Around 3,600 people managed to pass through both sides the last time the crossing was opened in late August for two days allowing passage for students studying abroad and Gazans seeking medical attention. Earlier this month disparate political forces in Egypt gathered to launch a campaign aiming to reopen the Rafah crossing permanently. Head of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in the People's Assembly Saad El-Hosseiny submitted a questioning in parliament to Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif where he criticized Egypt's role in the blockade of Gaza. Asking for an explanation for why Egypt persisted on keeping the crossing closed, El-Hosseiny said "Is it conceivable that the Zionists open the Rafah crossing and then the Egyptians shut it down suffocating fasting Palestinians? Since Hamas seized Gaza from the Palestinian Authority and its backer Fatah in June 2007, Israel has completely cut off the Strip leading to an incredible shortage of basic supplies within the area and the destitution of the majority of its 1.5 million residents. The blockade has also set off a flurry of underground tunnel activity between the Egyptian and Gazan border, through which everything from bulbs and food to guns and rockets are smuggled.
