Egypt/Palestinian territories: Protests against Egypt/Gaza border closure Jan. 7

Event

Hundreds of people in Gaza protested against the continued closure of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Sunday, January 7. Demonstrators called for the Egyptian government and the Palestinian Authority to open the border crossing and threatened to establish a temporary camp in front of the crossing if their demand is not met. Further protests are likely in the coming days.

Context

The Rafah border crossing is the only crossing point between Gaza and Egypt. The border has been mostly closed since 2007 and only opens three to five days every couple of months, during which hundreds of Gazans attempt to leave Gaza.

In October 2017, as part of the reconciliation process between the two Palestinian leaders (Hamas and the Palestinian Authority), the Egyptian government said it would permanently open the border, allowing for humanitarian aid to reach the strip. Despite this statement, the Rafah crossing remains closed as of January 9.

Advice

Individuals are advised against travel to the Gaza Strip due to the potential difficulty of subsequently exiting the territory, the high risk of terrorism and other violence (notably between Palestinians and Israeli security forces), and poor living conditions on the ground.