Israel and Egypt agreed on Wednesday to reopen the Palestinian-Egyptian border crossing in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli sources reported.
In a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Wednesday accepted the Egyptian proposal to reopen the terminal.
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Passengers will be allowed to pass through the terminal where as merchandise will be moved via a terminal that will be built in Kerem Shalom, a point where Palestinian, Israeli and Egyptian borders meet, in the far southern Gaza Strip.
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According to the Egyptian proposal, the Rafah terminal will be operated under joint, Palestinian-Egyptian management with European staff monitoring all entrants.  In addition, Israel will be monitoring those entering the Gaza Strip via surveillance cameras.
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‘We adopted the Egyptian proposal about the Rafah passage, which means that people will be able to move from Gaza to Egypt and from Egypt to Gaza through the passage in Rafah,’ Mofaz said after meeting Mubarak.
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Israel also reopened Erez and Karni checkpoints that were closed in the wake of the latest tension in Gaza Strip.
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Israel had already agreed, in principle, to the Egyptian proposal before withdrawing from the Gaza Strip, but had delayed giving its final approval.
