Hundreds leave Gaza as Egypt opens border
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Egypt opened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Saturday, allowing hundreds of people to leave the Hamas-controlled territory, Palestinian officials said.
Egyptian security and border sources said the Rafah border crossing would remain open for two days to allow Gazans with foreign residence permits and humanitarian cases to cross into Egypt.
Egypt closed the Rafah border crossing after the Islamist movement Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip more than a year ago, and hundreds of Egyptian citizens have been stuck in the coastal enclave.
Some 100 people have crossed into Egypt and 200 Palestinians have returned home to Gaza, the Egyptian sources said.
Palestinian officials said more than 500 Egyptians and Gazans with foreign residency permits had already crossed into Egypt and they expected hundreds more to follow.
Hamas wants Egypt to open Rafah permanently to ease the Israel-led blockade on Gaza, but under a US-brokered accord they cannot do so without the consent of Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah movement is Hamas's rival.
- Reuters
