Rafah crossing closed for fourth consecutive day

Egyptian authorities kept the Rafah crossing with Gaza closed for a fourth consecutive day on Saturday. There have been frequent closures of the terminal in recent weeks due to political unrest in Egypt and violence in the Sinai peninsula. The Palestinian Authority ambassador to Egypt, Barakat al-Farra, urged Gazan students enrolled in Egyptian universities to send their details to the embassy in Cairo so that arrangements can be made to obtain special permits to allow students to cross into Egypt. The ambassador told Ma'an that his team will contact Egyptian universities to try to delay examinations for Palestinian students who are not able to cross into the country. Rafah was closed on Aug. 15 after nationwide violence and then partially reopened two days later, only to be closed again following an attack which killed 25 Egyptian soldiers. The Rafah terminal was closed earlier this week after a car bomb outside Egyptian intelligence headquarters in Sinai. The crossing is the only way most Palestinians in Gaza can enter or leave the territory. Israel imposes an air and sea blockade on the enclave, and its border is closed to Palestinians.