Several thousand Gazans this week made a furious rush to the Egyptian border, hoping to take advantage of a rare chance to escape the blockaded territory.
Egypt announced on June 1 that it was temporarily opening the border, a day after an Israeli naval raid on a ship of pro-Palestinian activists sailing to Gaza.
Cars with suitcases piled on their roofs were seen streaming to the border, while many others were lugging overstaffed bags on foot. Dozens of Hamas police with automatic weapons patrolled the area to maintain order.
Egypt, which has enforced the blockade with Israel since Hamas militants seized control of Gaza three years ago, said it was opening the border for several days to allow aid into the area.
The governor of Egyptian’s northern Sinai district, Murad Muwafi, said it was a humanitarian gesture meant to “alleviate the suffering of our Palestinian brothers after the Israeli attack.” — ap