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Last update - 23:09 08/05/2008
Hamas: Gaza-Egypt border to open for three days
By Reuters
Tags: Egypt, Israel, Gaza, Hamas

The main border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will be opened for three days starting on Saturday under a deal between the Islamist group and Cairo, a Hamas official said on Thursday.

The crossing at Rafah has been largely closed since early February when Egypt resealed the border after Hamas gunmen blasted it open in defiance of an Israeli-led siege of the coastal enclave.

With U.S. backing, Egypt has been trying to broker an unofficial truce between Israel and Hamas to stop violence that threatens to derail peace talks. That proposed deal calls for reopening Rafah under the control of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
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Abbas and Olmert launched U.S.-sponsored peace talks in November with the aim at reaching a deal on Palestinian statehood before President George W. Bush leaves office in January.

Hamas official Ayman Taha said sick Gazans would be allowed to cross into Egypt on Saturday. Palestinians holding Egyptian and other foreign passports will be allowed to leave the coastal territory on Sunday and Monday, Taha added.

Egyptian security sources said Egypt had agreed in principle to open the border for three days to allow the wounded to cross into Egypt for treatment and to allow Egyptians in Gaza to return.

A European diplomatic source said European Union monitors would not be at the crossing.

EU monitors had been stationed at Rafah until Hamas Islamists took control of Gaza after routing Fatah forces loyal to Abbas.

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      1.   They must be getting low on weapons 23:19  |  SystemF 08/05/08
      2.   KEEP it open and close all Israeli access. 23:24  |  PETER SM 08/05/08
      3.   Egypt Suck them in! 23:56  |  Gil 08/05/08
      4.   An INTRODUCTION in 60 seconds 01:28  |  Gil 09/05/08
      5.   # 3.. Gil 01:36  |  maoriboy 09/05/08
      6.   Peter SM....since Rafah is a town split in half, 01:50  |  Lynn 09/05/08
      7.   Attention Israel 03:52  |  Mark Lincoln 09/05/08
      8.   What choice has Egypt? 05:13  |  Mark Lincoln 09/05/08
      9.   Why DOES Egypt close its border with Gaza? 07:05  |  Walter 09/05/08
      10.   MA*K L****LN.Peace&recognition is being refused by the HAMAS govt 07:08  |  PETER SM 09/05/08
      11.   So Israel trusts Egypt to block arms? 07:25  |  Rowan 09/05/08
      12.   Oh boy 07:46  |  Lev 09/05/08
      13.   Egypt and the ?Palestinians?. 08:45  |  Jean Van Daem 09/05/08
      14.   For Lev # 12 12:22  |  Clickfool 09/05/08
      15.   #14 ClickIdiot; You realize that as a Limey you 13:28  |  Max Horoskopski 09/05/08
      16.   U.S. IS COMPLAINING ABOUT IRAN SUPPLYING ARMS 18:33  |  * BEN JABO 09/05/08
      17.   # 3 Gil, the real suckers are the settlers 19:21  |  Dutch 09/05/08
      18.   to number 9 21:45  |  HANZALA 09/05/08
      19.   #7 & 8# Mark Lincoln. Egypt prove 2B more human 23:01  |  Abram 09/05/08
      20.   Egypt doesn`t want to be seen as villain 04:09  |  Rowan 10/05/08
      21.   YES! Keep Rafah Open But Close All Others 19:19  |  A. Brown 10/08/08
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