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Egypt to Reopen Rafah Border Crossing with Gaza for 4 Days

Palestinian Hamas-hired policemen stand at Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip on January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Palestinian Hamas-hired policemen stand at Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip on January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
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Egypt to Reopen Rafah Border Crossing with Gaza for 4 Days

Palestinian Hamas-hired policemen stand at Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip on January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Palestinian Hamas-hired policemen stand at Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip on January 8, 2019. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

The Egyptian authorities will reopen the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Monday for four days for travel in both directions.

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza declared that the Rafah crossing would open from Monday to Thursday.

The General Authority for Crossings revealed details on travel through the border during this period.

The Authority set a condition that travelers must head, solely, to conduct a PCR test a day before their travel. Also, it demanded holders of newly issued passports (2020) to instantly update their data at the ministry of interior directorates – each in his governorate.

The reopening of the crossing is the first since Nov. 27 when it was shut down by the Egyptian authorities. Since the outbreak of the pandemic in March, Cairo and Hamas have agreed on closing the border.

Every now and then Egypt opens the border for humanitarian cases.

This is the only crossing linking Gaza to the outside world. The second crossing is Erez crossing that connects Gaza and the West Bank to Israel.

Gazans require Egyptian security approval to cross to Egypt, and special permits in order to pass to the West Bank or Israel.

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France to Host Lebanon Aid Conference, Macron Says

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
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France to Host Lebanon Aid Conference, Macron Says

France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech during the closing session of the 19th Summit of the Francophonie at the Grand Palais in Paris, on October 5, 2024. (AFP)

France will host an international conference this month to help drum up humanitarian aid for Lebanon and strengthen security in the southern part of the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.

"We will hold in the next few weeks a conference to provide humanitarian aid, support the international community and support the Lebanese armed forces boost security, especially in southern Lebanon," Macron said after a meeting of French speaking countries in Paris.

Israel has begun an intense bombing campaign in Lebanon and sent troops across the border in recent weeks after nearly a year of exchanging fire with Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Fighting had previously been mostly limited to the Israel-Lebanon border area, taking place in parallel to Israel's year-old war in Gaza against Palestinian group Hamas.  

Earlier, Macron said shipments of arms used in the conflict in Gaza should be stopped as part of a broader effort to find a political solution.  

France is not a major weapons provider for Israel, shipping military equipment worth 30 million euros ($33 million) last year, according to the defense ministry's annual arms exports report.  

"I think the priority today is to get back to a political solution (and) that arms used to fight in Gaza are halted. France doesn't ship any," Macron told France Inter radio.  

"Our priority now is to avoid escalation. The Lebanese people must not in turn be sacrificed, Lebanon cannot become another Gaza," he added.  

Macron's comments come as his Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is on a four-day trip to the Middle East, wrapping up on Monday in Israel as Paris looks to play a role in reviving diplomatic efforts.