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| Rafah Border Reopens |
WORLD NEWS - The Egyptian Government has finally lifted the blockade on the main border crossing in the Gaza Strip to the outside world after four years that has led to the convenience of the area's Palestinian civilians.
The Rafah border crossing, this has just been reopened eased blockade, which was preventing majority of the Gaza’s 1.5 million people from traveling abroad. The Rafah closure along with a blockade of Israel on its borders with Gaza had led to a significant economic slowdown in the densely populated area of Gaza.
Although this is an important achievement for the new government of Egypt, this political measure has indeed raised Israeli fears about the re-empowerment of the Hamas militant group which had seized power in Gaza in June 2007. The Hamas is a Islamic militant group that is opposed to peace in Israel.
After the June 2007 seizure of power by the Hamas millitant group in Gaza, Israel and Egypt had closed down their borders with Gaza with a view to weaken the Hamas millitant group. Now, after the reopening of the Rafah border both the Israeli and the American officials are concerned that Hamas would use this border to pour men and materials in Gaza. However, the Egyptian officials have reassured that they have taken enough precautions to not let weapons get into Gaza.
Although the border blockade has been revoked, the bureaucratic obstacles do remain. Men from 18 to 40 will need Egyptian visas to enter the country while the women and the children will have to have the easier-to-obtain travel permits. The visas take several weeks to be obtained whereas the easier-to-obtain travel permits take several days.