Rafah crossing re-open today before arrivals from Egypt

A spokesman for the Israeli army said yesterday that the Israeli authoriies will reopen Rafah border crossing which is closed since three weeks as from today Friday.

Meantime, the director of the general security department in Gaza Lt. Gen. Mousa Arafat said that the occupation authorities notified them about this decison and Arafat explained that the sudden Israeli withdrawal from Beit Hanoun and the deployment of the occupation forces outside the city was not consulted by the Palestinian authorities.

Palestinian civil affairs minister Jamil al-Treifi said that the Rafah crossing from the Egyptian side will be in the beginning operated for four days in order to end the sufferings of thousands of families who are returning back to Rafah and held at the crossing since its closure, and then the movement will be normal in both directions as from Tuesday.

On the other hand, news reports in Gaza said that the commander of the people's resistace comittees in Gaza, Jamal Abu Samhadaneh, survived an assassination atempt when one Israeli helicopter targeted his car by a missile while he was in his way from Khan Younis to Rafah to the south of Gaza. The missile missed its target and Abu Samhadaneh was able to flee.