Egyptian authorities are re-opening the Rafah border crossing for three days, says a Palestinian official.
“The Egyptian authorities informed the Palestinian side [they] would open Rafah crossing from Sunday to next Tuesday,” said Maher Abu Sabha, director of the Palestinian side of the border.
The crossing, which links Egypt and the Gaza Strip, will accept transit in either direction with priority given to medical patients and those with humanitarian needs, according to an Egyptian border official who confirmed that there have been transients from both sides.
Sabha added that foreign nationals, students and those holding residency permits in Egypt will also be allowed to cross during the six hours a day in which the border is open.
Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing last Wednesday and Thursday for humanitarian cases only. The crossing has been repeatedly closed and re-opened in recent months following the army-led coup of president Mohamed Morsy on 3 July.
Egypt has also been shutting down networks of underground tunnels used for smuggling supplies and people that link the country with Gaza in recent months.
