Israel re-opens Rafah crossing checkpoint

Israel reopened the Rafah crossing checkpoint between the Gaza Strip and Egypt Friday morning after nearly a month closure, Palestinians sources said.

A spokesman for the authority running the crossing confirmed that "the terminal reopened at 9 am (0600 GMT) and will remain open until 6 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday."

On Wednesday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Eli Sheked, urging Israel to reopen the crossing point.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit told reporters that it was imperative for Israel to live up to its responsibilities for thousands of Palestinians stranded at the crossing point.

The Rafah crossing point has been closed since July 17, where about 3,400 Palestinians, including men, women and children, were crammed into a parking lot about half the size of a soccer field with only two doors for ventilation and straw mats as beds.

The Palestinians, foreign governments and rights groups have all raised concerns about the worsening conditions on the border where three pregnant women had suffered miscarriages in recent days.

Source: Xinhua