Egypt reopens Gaza crossing for 3 days

By Ramzy Mahmoud and Nour Abu Eisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) – Egypt opened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip for three days, the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo said on Monday.

The terminal will remain open in both directions to allow Palestinian travelers to leave and those stranded to return to Gaza, the embassy said in a statement.

The crossing was closed in mid-March as part of effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. It was only reopened exceptionally to allow stranded Palestinians to return to the territory.

Palestinians returning to seaside enclave are quarantined for 21 days as a precautionary measure.

According to Palestinian health authorities, 81 virus cases were recorded in Gaza, 71 of whom have recovered. Only one fatality was confirmed.
*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara