The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen today for Palestinian after a partial restoration of the gates closed the crossing yesterday, said a source at the Rafah crossing. He said the total number of transients is 366, and the total number of those entering Gaza is 364. Last week, over 4,576 crossed to Gaza. Those entering Egypt totaled 2,600 while those exiting into Gaza totaled 1,976. The head of the border crossing in the Gaza Strip, Aweidah Hatem, said the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing will open on Sunday. He denied any news of the Egyptian side intending to close the crossing for three days. Aweidah said the Egyptian authorities removed the wood barring the gate and that it will not remain closed for three days. He said the Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah border crossing because the main gates of the crossing were undergoing maintenance without the Palestinian side being directly informed. The governor of North Sinai, General Abdul Wahab Mabrouk, said that repairs have now finished, and that buses will be allowed entrance like usual.
