European observers at Rafah crossing to open it

The European Union has officially agreed to supervise the border operations of people movement across the border crossing of Rafah between the Palestinian Gaza Strip and Egypt in the course of implementing the agreement to re-operate the crossing which was concluded by the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government under mediation of the US secretary of state Condaleezza Rice.

After the meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels, the British foreign office secretary Jack Straw, whose country presides the current rotating presidency of the European Union, said in a statement "we have agreed to deploy a monitoring committee that will start its work on Thursday." The EU mission is composed of 40 observers in addition to telecommunications employees, logistic backup. Chaired by the Italian police officer Petro Pistolis, the mission will provide experience to the Palestinian police and customs officers at Rafah crossing.

Israel has closed this crossing after its withdrawal from Gaza on September 11 and set a condition to reopen it as the participation of a third party in running it together with the Palestinian and Egyptian sides, so as to prevent what it alleges the attempts of smuggling weapons by Palestinians though this crossing.

Both the Israelis and the Palestinians asked the European Union to send between 50 to 70 observers. A spokeswoman for the EU said that the vanguards of the observers will be arriving by Friday so as to permit a partial opening for the crossing for the passage of 500 persons daily.

In this regard, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived on Monday in Gaza to take part in the celebration to re-open the crossing.