CAIRO, August 6 (RIA Novosti) - Egyptian authorities have extended the operation of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip until Friday, the MENA news agency reported.
The decision to extend the crossing, which opened on Monday, for an extra two days was made due to the large numbers of people wishing to leave or enter the enclave.
"The border will be open today and tomorrow on both sides," an Egyptian border spokesperson said.
Foreigners and Palestinians with residence permits for Egypt or other countries, including foreign student visas, are allowed to leave the Hamas-controlled enclave. The Egyptian authorities are also letting in Palestinians on medical or other humanitarian grounds.
Extra border guards have been sent to Rafah to deal with the large numbers of Palestinians seeking entry to Egypt, with medical experts on hand to examine people wishing to travel to Egyptian hospitals.
The Gaza Strip has been subject to an Israeli blockade since the radical Islamist Hamas group came to power more than two years ago. Its 1.5 million residents suffer from severe shortages of medicine, food and fuel.
