Rafah border crossing reopens for travelers leaving Gaza strip

Palestinians waited on Tuesday to cross into Egypt as the Rafah border crossing reopened for travelers leaving the Gaza Strip for the first time in nearly a month.

The terminal was closed to all traffic after anti-regime protests in Egypt, but reopened to travelers going from Egypt into Gaza on Friday, allowing many stranded Palestinians to return.

On Sunday, officials from the Hamas government said the terminal would open Tuesday for Palestinians entering Egypt, including medical patients and students.

"The terminal is now open to Palestinians who want to leave, at a rate of 300 a day," said Ayoub Abu Shaar, a terminal official said on Tuesday. "More than 3,000 people have registered with us to travel," added Abu Shaar, who expressed hope that the terminal would stay open 24 hours a day, though it is currently operating only between 11:00 am (0900 GMT) and 4:00 pm (1400 GMT).

The crossing, which is the only access point to the outside world for Gazan Palestinians, closed on January 30, as Egyptian anti-regime protests gained speed.