The Guardian: Gazans Rush as Egypt Opens Crossing

Egypt opened its Rafah border, a rare occurrence since 2013. Gazans in need of medical treatment or refuge from Israeli military incursions hope to leave. Hazem Balousha and Oliver Holmes report for the Guardian: “Some 30,000 Gazans including medical patients, students and businesspeople are on a waiting list to travel through Rafah. But not all are guaranteed.” Under the joint control of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, Rafah essentially remains the primary gateway for more than 2 million Gazans who have faced increasingly dire conditions over the past decade. “Electricity shortages have led to hospital blackouts and an Israeli blockade, imposed in 2007 after Hamas seized control, has tightly controlled the movement of people and goods out of other crossings.” The border crossing was open for four days due to a humanitarian aid project. – YaleGlobal