Palestinians, Egypt agree to temporarily open Rafah Crossing

The Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) and Egypt agreed on Sunday to temporarily open the Rafah Crossing on the border between southern Gaza and Egypt, security sources said.

The sources said the crossing would be open for four hours on Sunday under an agreement reached between the two sides, which Israel also okayed.

The sources added that the temporary opening was to enable dozens of Palestinians stranded at the Egyptian side of the crossing for several days to return to Gaza.

Shortly after the Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip last month, tens of thousands of Palestinians swarmed into Egypt across the Gaza-Egypt border.

The border chaos has roused concerns of Israel, which urged Egypt and the Palestinians to tighten border control.

It is expected that the Rafah Crossing, a key terminal, will be reopened by mid-November by both Egypt and the Palestinians with the presence of a third international party, probably the European Union.

Source: Xinhua