CAIRO: More than 250 Palestinian students from the isolated Gaza Strip were allowed into Egypt Sunday after having been prohibited from leaving the territories for months.
Palestinian officials told AFP that 254 students were allowed to depart Gaza into Israel through the Erez crossing and were then taken by bus to Al-Oja crossing to enter Egypt.
Al-Oja crossing is the only pathway between Egypt and Israel since the Rafah border crossing – the only exit from Gaza directly into Egypt – was closed last June after Hamas took over the territory.
Daily News Egypt previously reported that some 670 students had been prohibited from leaving Gaza by Israeli authorities to pursue their studies in Egypt, Jordan, Germany and the UK. These students are enrolled in their programs and have been unable to attend.
Additionally, there are in total 6400 Gazans who are either studying or working abroad who have been denied permission to leave, some of whom even possess foreign citizenship.
“Al-Oja is not a solution, because it is under Israeli control, Activist and Journalist Nada Kassass told Daily News Egypt, “and it is subject to their whim about when to allow and not allow Gazans to enter or exit. Also because if some of the Gazans are wanted by Israel, then Al-Oja is an impossible option.
That is why Kassass wants the Rafah crossing to be re-opened. “It is the only crossing under Egyptian and Palestinian control, with European monitors.
Since June, the only way for entry and exit between Gaza and Egypt has been through Al-Oja into Israeli territory and then the Erez crossing into the Strip.
Many Palestinians need to enter Egypt to then travel through to other countries where they pursue their studies.
Around six thousand Palestinians were stranded on the Egyptian side of the border when the Rafah border crossing was shut down in June. Eventually they were allowed back into Gaza through Al-Oja and Erez crossing over a period of two months.
However, those affiliated with Hamas could not leave for fear of arrest by Israeli authorities. In a further twist to the tale, Egypt reportedly allowed some 100 Hamas loyalists back into Gaza through a small crossing for military vehicles in late September.
There are now around 20 Palestinian families currently still stranded in Al-Arish and Rafah according to North Sinai Tagammu Party Secretary Alaa Al-Kashef.
