Rafah crossing opened for the final day

Egyptian authorities today opened the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for the fifth and final consecutive day to allow the passage of humanitarian cases, students, and the entry of Palestinians stranded outside of the besieged coastal enclave.

Gaza’s Crossings and Borders Committee said that the crossing would be open to students today who have been waiting to attend schools outside the Gaza Strip.

Yesterday, 588 students passed through the Rafah crossing, according to the committee. However, while it was initially reported that only students were permitted through the crossing, the committee said that Palestinians with Egyptian passports and humanitarian cases were also transported out of the besieged Palestinian territory on seven buses.

Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities prevented 98 Palestinians from crossing for unknown reasons while 363 enter the besieged Strip from Egypt.

Egypt has upheld an Israeli military blockade on the Gaza Strip for the majority of the past three years, since the ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and the rise to power of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in Egypt.

While the Egyptian border has remained the main lifeline for Gazans to the outside world, Egyptian authorities have slowly sealed off movement through the border since Morsi was toppled by the Egyptian army.