Egypt reopened border, allowing people to cross freely for the first time in four years.

CAIRO — Egypt will open the Rafah border crossing on a daily
basis starting this weekend in a bid to ease the blockade on the Gaza Strip,
the official MENA news agency reported on Wednesday.

Palestinians will now be able to travel through Rafah —
Gaza’s only crossing that bypasses Israel — under entry rules in place before
the blockade was tightened in 2007.

Egyptian authorities will now open the border from
“9:00 am to 5:00 pm on a daily basis, except for Fridays and public
holidays” starting on Saturday, MENA said.

“Palestinian women of all ages will be exempted from
visas as will men under 18 or over 40,” it said.

The exemption also applies to Palestinians entering Egypt
for study as long as they have proof of affiliation to an Egyptian university.

“The opening of the crossing comes as part of Egyptian
efforts to end the state of Palestinian division and achieve national
reconciliation,” the news agency reported.

Although Egypt had been gradually easing restrictions on the
Gaza border — it had been operating five days a week — Palestinians needed to
coordinate with security authorities before entering Egypt or had to show
humanitarian need.

The move is likely to rattle Israel which said earlier this
month it was “worried” by Egypt’s plans to reopen the crossing.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom claimed the
opening of the border “could allow the passage of arms and
terrorists.”

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi had announced that
Cairo planned to open the crossing, ending what he called his country’s
“shameful” cooperation in keeping it closed.

The decision was made as Palestinian factions Fatah and
Hamas met to agree on a reconciliation deal in Cairo.

Palestinian officials had welcomed Arabi’s announcement,
with chief negotiator Saeb Erakat saying it was one step towards loosening the
siege on the Gaza Strip.

The border has remained largely shut since June 2006 when
Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza after militants snatched Israeli
soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held.

The blockade was tightened a year later when Hamas seized
control of the territory, ousting forces loyal to the Western-backed PA.

The United Nations has called the blockade illegal and
repeatedly demanded it be lifted.

Egypt has actively supported Israel’s blockade, frequently
coming in for harsh regional criticism for keeping the border closed and for
building an underground wall in a bid to curb smuggling, which it views as a
security risk.

But earlier this year, mass street protests led to the
overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak, with the new military regime keen to
review its policy on Gaza.