Egypt opens Gaza border crossing

Gazans began queuing at the border crossing early on Saturday

Egypt has opened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip at Rafah for two days for humanitarian cases.

Authorities are allowing Palestinians needing medical treatment and students to enter Egypt and Gazans stranded in Egypt to return to their homes.

The crossing has been closed for much of the time since the Hamas movement took control of Gaza in June 2007.

Egypt has been criticised by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement for taking part in the Israeli-led Gaza blockade.

But Egypt says it will only reopen the border fully in co-operation with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, which has no control in Gaza.

Early queues

Gazans began queuing at the Rafah border crossing on Saturday morning.

The Egyptian state-run news agency Mena said 50 sick Palestinians had crossed into Egypt by the afternoon and more than 200 were expected later in the day.

Up to 30 ambulances have been made available to transfer Palestinian patients to Egyptian hospitals, Mena reported.

But Palestinian interior ministry spokesman Ihab Hussein said the two-day opening was not long enough.

"There is a big crisis in the Gaza Strip," he told AP news agency.

"Thousands of people are stuck in Gaza and they should get out to go to their businesses outside of Gaza Strip."