GAZA - Egypt opened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip on Saturday, allowing hundreds of people to leave the Hamas-controlled territory, Palestinian officials said. Egyptian security and border sources said the Rafah crossing would stay open for two days to allow Gazans with foreign residence permits and humanitarian cases to cross into Egypt.Egypt closed Rafah after the Islamist movement Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip more than a year ago, and hundreds of Egyptian citizens have been stuck in the coastal enclave. With the reopening, some 500 people have crossed into Egypt and 700 have returned home to Gaza, the Egyptian sources said. Palestinian officials said more than 1,000 Egyptians and Gazans with foreign residency permits had crossed into Egypt.
'The opening of Rafah for a few days will alleviate the suffering of our people,' said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri.