Egypt partly opens Gaza borders for humanitarian cases

Egypt on Saturday opened its borders with the Gaza Strip to allow the departure of a number of Palestinians traveling to Egypt for medical treatment, among other travelers, Hamas authorities said.

A statement by Hamas's interior ministry said that the crossing will remain open for two days, adding that only patients, students and holders of foreign passports and residence permits are allowed to leave.

Since 2007, when Hamas routed security forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and seized the coastal Strip, the border between Gaza and Egypt has only been intermittently open. The crossing is the Gaza Strip's only crossing that does not exit to Israel.