Hurray, President Morsi! You continue to defy low expectations and continue to push the limits of the constraints that the US government has tried to put on you. Morsi has opened Gaza so that the Palestinians held prisoner there can perhaps now begin to leave! Israel will continue to try to enslave Palestinians or simply push them to elsewhere. Still, it is a great move for now, Morsi! Stand firm. Morsi meeting opens a door on Gaza blockade.
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Egypt lets in Palestinians
Monday 23 July 2012
Quietly and without any fanfare, Egypt brought an era to an end today when it opened its border to all Palestinians, allowing them free entry into the country and finally ending a five-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.
The decision means that Palestinians of all ages can freely move to and from Gaza.
It also applies to Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Airport officials said the decision was applied for the first time today, when seven Palestinians waiting at Cairo international airport were allowed into Egypt without the usual security clearances and visas.
The blockade has been in force since 2007, when Hamas took direct control of the West Bank after winning elections and Egypt co-operated with Israel to restrict movement to and from the region.
Egypt opened the Rafah border crossing permanently in May 2011.
But only women and men younger than 18 or older than 40 were able to enter Egypt without clearance.