The Egyptian authorities on Saturday reopened the Rafah border with the Gaza Strip, allowing people to cross freely for the first time in four years, AFP reported.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi declared on April 29, after the reconciliation of Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, that the crossing would reopen permanently in order to ease the blockade imposed by Israel.
The Rafah crossing will be open to people for eight hours daily except Fridays and public holidays. It will remain closed to goods.
Egypt's former Mubarak regime kept the terminal close. Thus, Palestinians had dug numerous tunnels under the border between Egypt and Gaza to smuggle all kinds of goods.
