Desperate Gazans rush to cross border into Egypt

26th January 2015

The border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip reopened for three days last week at the request of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas.

But only students, patients, and people holding foreign residency were permitted to leave Gaza.

Roughly 1.8 million Palestinians live in the entirely blockaded Gaza Strip, much of which remains in ruins after Israel’s 50-day assault last summer that killed over 2200 Palestinians.

The Rafah border crossing, which has been closed by Egypt except on rare occasions, requires an arduous application process to pass through it.

This video shows hundreds of Palestinians trying to get through on the first day of the opening. Mothers, fathers, children, and those with medical conditions rushed to the gates in an attempt to make their way through the crossing and into Egypt.