GAZA (PIC)– The Egyptian authorities on Tuesday evening closed the Rafah border crossing south of the Gaza Strip after opening it for only three days for the travel of limited passengers to and from the besieged Palestinian territory.
438 left Gaza on Tuesday through the Rafah crossing before its closure.
Local sources said that the Egyptian authorities allowed 21 Palestinian passengers to cross into Gaza and denied access for 23 others.
After its closure for more than 57 days the Egyptian authorities opened the crossing last Sunday for three days for the travel of passengers from both sides.
In another context the Islamic and national factions in Gaza declared the 28th of December a national day for breaking the siege on Gaza to draw the attention of the world to the ongoing humanitarian suffering of the population.
This came during a news conference held on Tuesday near Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing north of Gaza in the presence of representatives from different Palestinian factions.
In a speech on behalf of the Palestinian factions senior official of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Jamil Mezher called on Palestinian premier Rami al-Hamdallah and his ministers to visit Gaza and assume their responsibilities towards its people immediately.
Mezher expressed the factions’ rejection of any pretexts obstructing the work of the government in Gaza and warned of dire consequences if the blockade on Gaza continued.
He also warned that the failure to rebuild war-torn Gaza would lead to serious implications that would not affect the Palestinian people alone.
The PFLP official called on Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas to coordinate with Egypt to make quick arrangements to open the Rafah crossing and alleviate the suffering of the besieged people in Gaza.
He reiterated the factions’ rejection of the reconstruction plan that was tabled by UN envoy Robert Serry during his last visit to Gaza and called for mechanisms taking into account the national interests of the Palestinians.
He finally said that the Islamic and national factions would organize next Sunday a massive march in Gaza to send a message to the world about Israel’s continued blockade on the Strip.