Egyptian authorities reopened the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza strip in north Sinai on Sunday in both directions for Palestinian passengers, after it was closed for two days. An official source at the crossing said that it was coordinated with the Palestinian side to open the crossing for stranded students, patients, humanitarian cases, and those carrying residency permits, as well as passengers returning from medical treatment and work trips or from visits to other countries. The source added that additional staff were provided on Egypt's end to speed up procedures and facilitate the passage of passengers in both directions. This is in addition to providing a larger number of vehicles to transport them between the two sides. The Rafah border crossing has been under Hamas's control since the movement took power in 2007. The Palestinian Authority then took over the border's control, as part of the reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas, which took place in Cairo in 2017. During 2018, Egypt allowed the crossing to be regularly opened. The border officially closed on October 24, 2014, following attacks on the Qarm Al-Qawadis checkpoint by the militant group "Sinai Province". The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 33 military personnel. Since then, the crossing has been opened only in exceptional cases.
