Gaza border crossing opens for Palestinians
Middle East Desk Report

RAFAH (Gaza Strip)—The Rafah border terminal between the Gaza Strip and Egypt opened to a flood of excited Palestinians on Saturday, giving them a gate to the outside world for the first time in almost three months.
At least 2,000 Palestinians — some leaving the tiny strip of territory for the first time in their lives — queued for the opening of the EU-supervised crossing.
“I have been waiting for this moment for years,” grinned 54-year-old Ali Shurab, a red-and-white keffiyeh headdress slung around his shoulders. “I am really happy to be here today because I was banned by the Israelis from crossing for 25 years for “security’ reasons”.
Outside the tall wrought-iron gate at the entrance to the terminal compound, the teeming masses were pushing and shoving on Saturday to hand in their passports at a small bullet-ridden booth before waiting their turn to enter.
Men, women and children were squatting on the dusty floor amid mountains of luggage, many smoking endless cigarettes and waiting for border officials to open the gates.
Scores of yellow taxis, their luggage racks piled high with battered suitcases, plastic bags and bedding, were parked close by, waiting to ferry the travellers and their belongings into the sprawling terminal compound.
First to enter was Naim Al Baaya, a 53-year-old wheelchair-bound mother from the Jabaliya refugee camp, who said: “We have been here since the early morning — we have been planning this trip for two weeks”.
Mohammed Al Arubi, 26, said he was taking his mother to hospital.
“I feel amazing. It will be the first time I ever left Gaza,” he said, dressed impeccably in a shirt and red tie to mark the occasion.
Just before the opening, EU Middle East envoy Marc Otte arrived at the terminal with General Osama Al Assar, head of security at the crossing.
“We are here as partners, as friends and we respect your sovereignty,” Otte said.
Under EU supervision, the transit route will open up the world to the Gaza Strip’s 1.3 million largely impoverished residents, after fears the territory would be transformed into a “giant prison” after a 38-year Israeli occupation.
Palestinian officials hope that a fully functioning border will help kickstart a desperately depressed economy overly dependent on Israel and help bring down unemployment that has soared to almost 40 percent in recent months.
When the crossing starts processing people on Saturday, it will be the first time the Gaza-Egypt terminal is operated without direct Israeli control since a border crossing was established after Israel signed a peace deal with Egypt in 1979.
Speaking to newsmen after the ceremony, Abbas said the reopening of the terminal would be a “great joy” to the Palestinian people. “This is an excellent step that gives our people back part of their freedom and we hope it will lead to the country’s freedom and the creation of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” he added Friday.
Joined by the EU special envoy to the Middle East, Marc Otte, and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, Abbas cut a ribbon in the main passenger terminal before symbolically handing over his passport to an official. Condemning Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank and the building of the separation barrier by Israel, he said that the Palestinians would not accept anything less than a future state as laid out in the roadmap peace plan.
“We want the roadmap to be implemented. We are asking for nothing more but we will accept nothing less,” he added.
Outside, dozens of Palestinian flags fluttered in the breeze as a crowd of hopeful travellers, curious onlookers and hordes of excitable children massed.
“We have to wait and see if opening the border helps the economy. People here are still very poor,” sighed Ibrahim Senna, a 42-year-old tailor from Rafah, clutching the hand of his eight-year-old son.
But despite Friday’s ceremony, officials have said Rafah will only open for business for a paltry four hours from Saturday, with opening hours increased once the EU mission, eventually to number 70 people, is bolstered.