Feature: Palestinians flock to Gaza after Rafah crossing point reopens

GAZA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Palestinians started to enter into the Gaza Strip after the Rafah crossing point, Gaza's only gate to the outside world, was reopened early Wednesday.

Last Thursday, a group of militants abducted seven Egyptian military and police recruits in North Sinai's Green Valley, some 20 km away from the governorate capital of Arish, demanding the release of their jailed family members.

The Egyptian policemen then closed Rafah crossing point in protest against the kidnapping of their fellows until the seven kidnapped Egyptians were released early in the day.

Adnan Abu Aamer, a Palestinian professor from Gaza wrote on his Facebook page that about 4,000 Palestinians along with himself were stranded at the Egyptian side of the crossing point due to its closure over the past five days.

As soon as the Egyptian authorities decided to reopen the crossing point, the authorities at the Palestinian side began to receive passengers.

Fatima Hassan, a old woman in Gaza, told Xinhua that she came back from Cairo where she got a surgery, and on her way back to Gaza "I was told that the crossing point was closed down."

"I spent the last five days at the house of my relatives in Al- Ariesh. I was very much concerned that the closure of the crossing point," said Fatima, adding "thanks God the crisis is over and I'm happy that I'm heading back home."

Maher Abu Sabha, chief official of the crossing in the Hamas government which controls the Gaza strip, told Xinhua that the Egyptian authorities informed the Palestinian side that it would reopen the crossing after releasing the kidnapped soldiers.

"Until noon, around 1,400 passengers had crossed through Rafah crossing point in two directions," he said.

In the meantime, Ismail Haneya, Hamas' prime minister, said his government is "following with great concerns the situation in the border crossing and making ongoing contacts with the Egyptian authorities to ensure the return of the stranded people."

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