Egyptian authorities are reported to have kept the Rafah border crossing open for a third day in one direction, from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. The crossing has been completely closed since March this year.
An elderly Palestinian woman, Yousra Al-Khatib, reportedly died on Wednesday as she was waiting to cross the border into Gaza, Palestinian news sources said.
Meanwhile, Egypt experienced a heat wave in which temperatures peaked at 46 degrees celsius.
According to Egypt’s state-owned news agency MENA, the crossing was set to remain open for Palestinians going into Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, but was extended a third day.
Approximately 800 Palestinians entered Gaza through the crossing over the two days, MENA reported.
On 25 May, Egyptian naval forces opened fire on a Palestinian fishing boat and injured a man from Rafah off the coast of the Gaza strip, Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported.
The border crossing had been completely closed for over approximately three months, as the Egyptian military has repeatedly evacuated the area of homes. They had also destroyed tunnels to maintain a buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza.
