Middle East

Egypt temporarily reopens Gaza border crossing

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A Palestinian family sit next to their luggage as they wait for their turn to enter the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Hamas says Egypt has temporarily opened its border with the Gaza Strip for the first time in three months. The Rafah crossing, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world, will operate Wednesday and Thursday. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) (The Associated Press)

A Palestinian man sleeps on his luggage while waiting for his turn to enter the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Hamas says Egypt has temporarily opened its border with the Gaza Strip for the first time in three months. The Rafah crossing, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world, will operate Wednesday and Thursday. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) (The Associated Press)

A Palestinian family sit next to their luggage as they wait for their turn to enter the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Hamas says Egypt has temporarily opened its border with the Gaza Strip for the first time in three months. The Rafah crossing, Gaza's main gateway to the outside world, will operate Wednesday and Thursday. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra) (The Associated Press)

The militant Hamas group says Egypt has temporarily reopened its border with the Gaza Strip, the first time the border was opened in three months.

The Rafah crossing is Gaza's main gateway to the outside world. The crossing this time is to operate on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hamas, which rules Gaza, says 30,000 people have applied to travel for various reasons, including humanitarian cases. The group's Interior Ministry called on Egypt to extend the opening period to meet the demand.

Egypt has kept the crossing largely sealed since 2013, when ties with Hamas worsened after the ouster of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Last month, Hamas boosted security forces along the border with Egypt in response to Egyptian accusations that Hamas was aiding Islamic State militants in the Sinai Peninsula.