Gazans decry Egyptian "borders"

Separated from the impatient crowd by a fragile barrier, Palestinian police officers read names, their voices barely audible above the din.

Those who called, were relieved to finally leave the crowded and dilapidated Gaza Strip for neighboring Egypt, some for the first time.

Many have only one large suitcase or briefcase sitting on the gym benches, which serves as a waiting room in the city of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza.

From there, they board a bus to the Rafah border post in the direction of Egypt, located about 20 minutes away.

Since mid-May, after five long years of almost total border closures, the Egyptian authorities have opened the crossing several days a week.

About 200 people make the trip in one day, a small number compared to the nearly two million people crammed into Gaza.

Yet it represents one of only two routes outside the Strip and the only one not controlled by Israel.

Since Hamas took control of the 360-square-kilometer territory in 2007, Israel has maintained a crippling blockade and imposed strict restrictions on its only crossing point.

For much of this period, Egypt only opened its Rafah border intermittently, meaning that those who were leaving did not know if they could return and when. Mosleh Derby, 21, waits in the sun watching tea and cigarette merchants calling their wares.

A medical student in Cairo, he had not returned to Gaza for three years before June for fear of being stuck.

Despite his advance registration for his return trip to the Gaza authorities, Derby said he had been so delayed that he had already missed the first two weeks of classes. Some students who paid extra fees traveled earlier, he said.

Inside the gym, many travelers reluctantly admit to paying between $ 1,500 and $ 2,000 for what they call "coordination" for traveling. Hamas Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad Al Bozum denied that Palestinian border officials had cashed in payments

Since President Mohamed Mursi was overthrown in 2013, Egypt has largely closed its border with Gaza. Only students, people requiring medical treatment, pilgrims or foreign nationals or holders of a residence permit are allowed.

The flow of travelers remains a thin net compared to the past, said Abdallah Shahin, 32, a porter at the border post for 15 years. He wants to return to Germany, where he was born but never got citizenship.

"One way, no way back," he says.

"Abroad, it's different … someone from creative can succeed."

Two of his friends have already left, he said, calculating the cost for himself at over $ 3,000, including at least $ 2,000 to cross the Rafah border.

At the starting point, the bus starts its engine towards a cacophony of goodbyes. "On the Egyptian side, if all goes well, you wait about six hours, otherwise you will spend the night there and sleep at the border post," said Derby, the medical student. The forced stay in the night is due to the Sinai curfew, which has banned overnight movements, said an Egyptian border official to AFP.

The rest of the trip to Cairo is long, due to repeated stops at security checkpoints.

"Before 2007, I arrived in Cairo in six hours, it takes at least 48 hours," said Hosam Al Ajuri, 35, who was due to finish his history studies in Egypt.

Aida Baraka, 52, remained in Khan Yunis. She has been waiting since June for permission to visit her sick niece in Jordan.

Although her name was not once posted online, she still came to try her luck.

"Where is humanity?" she asked, her niqab revealing only her dark eyes.
She accused Egypt of not doing enough to help.

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