Rafah crossing on Gaza-Egypt border is to open for one day

A Palestinian official announced on Wednesday that Rafah border crossing in Gaza Strip is to open for one day on two directions.

The terminal would be opened to allow Palestinians stuck on both sides of the border in or out of Gaza Strip.

Israel ordered EU monitors, who run the crossing between Gaza Strip and Egypt, to close it down last June after the capturing of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit in a Hamas-led cross-border raid.

The crossing is expected to be reopened again next Saturday and Sunday to allow Muslim worshipers go to Saudi Arabia during the Moslems holy fasting month of Ramadan, announced Osama al-Assar of the crossing management team.

Rafah crossing is the only terminal for resident of Gaza Strip, and it was reopened in November 2005 under a U.S.-backed protocol following Israel's major withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

Source: Xinhua