Third group of Gazans return home

Wednesday August 01, 2007 09:20 by John Smith - IMEMC & agencies

A third group of Palestinians stranded at the Rafah border crossing were on Monday granted passage into Israel in order to return to the Gaza Strip.

Speaking on Monday, Israeli officials stated that 457 Palestinians had entered the Erez crossing, from where they would be allowed to pass into the northern Gaza Strip.

Of the approximately 6,000 people stranded at Rafah, it is estimated that 1,700 have now been permitted to re-enter the coastal region. The remaining Palestinians have been refused entry and their future remains uncertain.

The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only link with the outside world, was closed after Hamas established control over the Gaza Strip. Since its closure, 28 innocent Palestinians have died while waiting to re-enter the region.

gaza strip | refugees/immigration | news report