RAFAH (Gaza Strip), July 3: Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Thursday to allow scores of stranded Palestinians to return to the besieged territory, witnesses said.

“We have been waiting for weeks to return to our families and now, praise be to god, we are finally able to return to Gaza,” said Hasan Abu Yusef, who completed his master’s degree in Egypt more than a month ago.

“Around 300 Palestinians gathered on Thursday morning on the Egyptian side and were promised by Egyptian security officials they would be allowed to cross into Gaza,” he said by telephone shortly before the crossing opened.

The crossing was closed on Wednesday after thousands of Palestinians stormed the border in a bid to flee the impoverished territory which has been under a crippling Israeli blockade since Hamas seized power more than a year ago.

In the ensuing clashes, Egyptian security forces drove the crowd away from the border with water cannon as Palestinians hurled rocks before being dispersed by baton-wielding Hamas security men.

Egypt was to open the crossing for two days beginning on Tuesday for people in need of advanced medical care and those with foreign visas for work or study, but allowed only around 200 Palestinians to leave Gaza.

It then sealed the crossing amid Wednesday’s unrest without allowing anyone to cross.

The Hamas-run interior ministry confirmed in a statement that it had coordinated the opening of the crossing with Egypt on Thursday to allow stranded Palestinians to return but provided no further details.

The Rafah crossing, the only gateway to Gaza that bypasses Israel, has rarely been opened since Hamas seized power in June 2007 after routing forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Hamas has repeatedly demanded the crossing be opened and operated by Egyptian and Palestinian officials, while Israel has said it should be governed by a 2005 agreement that provided for international and Israeli monitoring.—AFP