January 28, 2019 - 11:37 AM
GAZA, Palestinian Territory - Hamas says Egypt will briefly open its border with Gaza in both directions for first time in three weeks.
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza says the Rafah crossing will operate for three days starting Tuesday.
Egypt has kept the crossing shut for outbound Palestinians since the Palestinian Authority withdrew its forces earlier this month in a dispute with Hamas.
The Islamic militant group seized power in Gaza in 2007, but allowed the Western-backed Palestinian Authority to operate the crossing in a 2017 reconciliation agreement that has since unraveled.
Rafah is the main gate to the outside world for Gaza's 2 million residents. Under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade imposed more than a decade ago to isolate Hamas, traffic at the crossing has been significantly curtailed.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019