Egypt reopens Rafah crossing to facilitate Palestinians' return

They said on Tuesday that the decision was made to allow stranded Palestinians return to their homes.

The vital crossing was closed last Friday after armed men fired rocket-propelled grenades at army stations guarding El Arish International Airport and six other police stations including a security checkpoint near the military intelligence station in the border town of Rafah, killing at least one Egyptian soldier and wounding two others.

Some 800 Palestinian people normally leave for Egypt and beyond through the Rafah crossing, the only passageway leading to the rest of the world for most Gazans.

Israel imposed an all-out land, aerial, and naval blockade of the Gaza in June 2007 after the democratically-elected Palestinian resistance movement Hamas took over the administration of the territory.

The Rafah crossing is the Palestinian territory's only crossing outside Israeli control.

Since last week, Egypt has been the scene of rival rallies and clashes between thousands of the supporters and opponents of the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi.