On Sunday after Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah Border Terminal on the Gaza Strip without any prior notice and without providing any explanation for the move. The terminal was re-opened late Monday morning.Security sources in Gaza stated that Egypt closed the terminal at approximately 2 p.m. Sunday after allowing five trucks into the coastal region; eight more trucks were preparing to enter Gaza but remained on the Egyptian side of the terminal after it was decided to shut it down.
The terminal has been closed repeatedly in recent weeks that lead up to the Egyptian elections for parliament and president.
Egyptian media sources reported that Egypt boosted its security measures in al-Arish area and in Sinai, and also closed the as-Salaam Bridge.
Meanwhile, the Hamas movement in Gaza and elsewhere congratulated Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate in Egypt, Mohammad Morsy, for winning the presidential elections in Egypt.
Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesperson of the Hamas movement, stated that “Morsy’s victory, and the victory of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, is an important development that would provide further support to the Palestinians and their cause”.
Ma’an News Agency reported that the Rafah terminal was re-opened late Monday morning after worries of civil unrest in Egypt failed to materialize. There is no word yet from Cairo as to how the Muslim Brotherhood will treat relations with Gaza or Israel in the wake of gaining Egypt’s executive office.
The White House also congratulated Morsy for his victory, and urged him to “form a government that respects the rights of all Egyptians”.
