Palestinian in talks to solve Rafah crisis

The Fatah movement in Egypt on Sunday said that the Palestinian Authority ambassador is working hard to end the closure of the Rafah crossing. Barakat al-Farra is in communication with all relevant authorities to open the Rafah crossing and alleviate the burden of Israel's blockade on Gaza, Fatah said in a statement. The PA official is in talks to let students and workers through the crossing. Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah crossing with Gaza on Saturday for what security officials described as security concerns due to violence in Sinai. There have been frequent closures of the Rafah terminal in recent weeks due to political unrest in Egypt and violence in the Sinai peninsula. The Rafah crossing has been the principal connection between Gaza's 1.8 million residents and the outside world since the destruction of Gaza's international airport in 2001 and the subsequent air and naval blockade. Source: Maan