Egyptian authorities open Rafah crossing permanently for the first time in four years, allowing transportation of people and products.

The Egyptian authorities permanently opened Saturday the Rafah crossing, and for the first time in four years, allowing travelers and goods to pass into and out of Gaza; a step towards reducing the severity of the blockade that has been imposed on the Strip for over four years.

As soon as the crossing was opened, a convoy of three buses with over 150 Palestinian passengers on board took off from to the Egyptian side.

The Rafah border crossing is the only road that the Gazans could pass through to import the daily needs and goods. All the other strip’s crossings are controlled by the Zionist occupying forces that impose access limitations on products as well as people crossing in and out of the Strip.

Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Moubarak played a major role in fixing the Israeli embargo on the Palestinians by closing it permanently for years, even during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza in 2009, in which thousands of Palestinians were killed and injured. However, following the triumph of the revolution in Egypt, Foreign Minister Nabil Al-Arabi came out to assure that the crossing will be opened permanently, in a step that aims at easing the blockade.

According to the new system, the crossing will open six days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will close on Fridays and official holidays. Transportation from Egypt to Gaza will not require visas for Palestinian women and for men below 18 and over 40. As for Palestinian men between the ages of 18 and 40 and living abroad, they will need prior arrangement with the Egyptian embassies in their regions. On the other hand, those who want to travel from Gaza or the West Bank into Egypt, they should arrange with the Egyptian embassies in Ramallah in the W.B.. 
  
On his part, Palestinian director of the borders and crossings police, Salama Baraka assured that a practical system is being worked on, and will be announced later.
Baraka indicated in a press statement that registering was still available via the internal ministry’s web page and could be used for reservations to avoid traffic.

“We are working on ensuring the persistence of transportation in an organized, easy, and safe way; and the border crews will do their efforts to facilitate every citizen’s transportation”, director of the borders and crossings police further said.

This comes amid Israeli fear that opening the crossing would allow Palestinian resistance fighters to go into and out of Gaza.