Egypt keeps borders open as Gaza inhabitants flock into Arish

Tens of thousands of Palestinian citizens in Gaza Strip continued flocking into Egypt Sunday for the sixth successive day as Egyptian authorities decided to keep the Rafah crossing point open before them.

Governor of northern Sinai region Lt. Gen Ahmad Abdul Hamid underlined that the Palestinian people will be allowed to freely cross the borders in order to get all what they need of foodstuff and other life necessities.

“The Egyptian security forces have clear orders to facilitate entrance of the Palestinian people into Egypt, and to guide them to the places where they can purchase their needs”, said the Egyptian official in a statement to the Egyptian Middle East news agency.

The UNRWA that caters for the Palestinian refugees estimated number of the Palestinian citizens who crossed into Egypt at 700,000 (almost half the entire population of the Strip), as they were facing a crushing economic siege imposed by Israel with the backing of the USA.

“We have clear directives from our political leadership to deal with the Palestinians in a good manner being our guests and our brothers”, said the Egyptian governor, adding that all what the Palestinians need are available in the Egyptian market.

According to the news agency, Palestinian cars and trucks were seen driving in the Egyptian streets and loading foodstuff, medicine, and cement products among other materials before crossing back into Gaza, while Egyptian vehicles were seen crossing freely into the tiny Strip of 1.5 million individuals.

In a related matter, the news agency noted that thousands of Palestinian students and overseas workers working in Arab and foreign countries were still waiting in the Egyptian city of Al-Arish asking for permission to leave to their host countries to continue their studies and work after Israel denied them such right and sealed off all entrances of Gaza Strip.

Tens of thousands of Egyptian citizens across Egypt held massive demonstrations in support of the Palestinian people and in condemnation of the repressive siege on Gaza Strip, urging the immediate end of the blockade and the permanent opening of the Egyptian borders with Gaza.

The Israeli occupation government decided to block fuel, medicine, and food supplies to the Strip, thus, putting the populated Strip at the brink of a human catastrophe amidst world wide condemnation.