PALESTINIANS FLOCKED to Gaza’s southern border crossing with Egypt yesterday to leave the Israeli-besieged and blockaded coastal strip.
The new regime at the Rafah crossing, the sole gateway to the world for Gaza’s 1.5 million citizens, became operational on Saturday, allowing 450 to cross.
Egyptian prime minister Ezzam Sharaf and foreign minister Nabil al-Arabi vowed to follow a Gaza-friendly policy following the fall in mid-February of president Hosni Mubarak.
He had co-operated fully with Israel by imposing severe restrictions on Palestinians seeking to cross into Egypt.
The price Egypt exacted for opening the border was Hamas’s signature on the reconciliation deal with Fatah and agreement to form a unity government composed of technocrats. Delegates from both sides have been meeting to discuss candidates for posts in this cabinet, which is expected to serve until fresh elections for president and parliament are held.
Senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath, who is from Gaza, said the reconciliation deal “has made the job easier for Cairo . . . as now [the Egyptians] are dealing with one [Palestinian entity . . . It was a brave decision by Egypt to open the crossing and to dismantle the prison imposed by Israel on the people [of Gaza]”.
Previously, Palestinians seeking to enter Egypt had to have permits from the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah and visas from the West Bank Egyptian representation. Lists of candidates were vetted by the Israelis and, under a 2005 agreement, the Rafah terminal was briefly monitored directly by an EU team and by video link by Israeli officials.
This arrangement was suspended in 2007.
Hamas official Ghazi Hamad said the practice would not be revived. “We will co-operate with [the Egyptians] to make sure that the new arrangements are implemented smoothly . . . We hope that 1,000 people will be able to cross every day.”
Under the new dispensation, visa requirements have been scrapped for women and minors. Men aged between 18-40 still require visas, which have to be issued in Ramallah, but Egypt plans to open a Gaza visa office. The crossing is to operate six days a week and eight hours a day.
Commercial traffic continues through Israel’s sole open goods crossing at Karem Shalom. Only ailing Palestinians with special permits are allowed to leave Gaza through the Erez terminal on Gaza’s northern border.
Israeli minister Matan Vilnai said his country held Egypt responsible for security at the Rafah crossing and military official Amos Gilad said Israel’s main concern was that experts could enter Gaza to train Palestinians on targeting Israeli sites with rockets.
The Arab League has put its weight behind a bid by the Palestinian Authority to seek recognition at the UN General Assembly of a Palestinian state in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, occupied by Israel in 1967.
