Ramallah

As the result of an agreement facilitated by European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) will be open today Wednesday 9th August. The crossing will be open from 08.00 Hrs to 20.0 0 Hrs to allow humanitarian traffic from Gaza Strip to Egypt only.

An opening of RCP is now envisaged for Thursday, 10th August 2006 from 08.00 Hrs to 20.00 Hrs allowing passengers to cross the border in both sides.

The Rafah Border Crossing would not be open today 9th July despite EUBAM efforts to do it. Rafah Border remained closed today even if EUBAM monitors were deployed yesterday to the Rafah Crossing Point in order to evaluate the Terminal situation.

EUBAM made assiduous efforts in consultations with the interested Parties to reopen the Border Crossing Point.

Despite EUBAM efforts to open it, Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) would be not open tomorrow 1st August. The crossing was supposed to be open just few hours and only to allow humanitarian traffic from Gaza Strip to Egypt.

EUBAM monitors are on permanent standby and ready to open the crossing at short notice.

MARIA TELLERIA
Press & Public Information Officer
Mobile Telephone: 0542247250

As the result of an agreement facilitated by EUBAM between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) will be open today 1st August. The crossing will be open from 08.30 Hrs to 19.30 Hrs to allow humanitarian traffic from Gaza Strip to Egypt only.

Yesterday evening two breaches were blown in the border wall not far from Rafah Crossing Point (RCP). 

Hundreds of people crossed from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, and many also crossed from the Gaza Strip into Egypt.

European Union Border Assistacce Mission (EUBAM), which mandate is limited at Rafah Crossing Point, maintained liaison with both Parties throughout the incident and in doing so helped to ensure that it ended peacefully when the Presidential Guard sealed the border.

The Rafah Border Crossing will be open temporarily today from 10.00 Hrs to 14.00 Hrs.

This is for humanitarian reasons to enable the passage of approximately 250 passengers who have been waiting in the Egyptian side of the terminal since the crossing was closed.

It is an European Union Border Assistance Mission (EU BAM) initiative, with the agreement of the Israeli Government and the cooperation of the Egyptian and Palestinian authorities.

EUBAM has deployed to the Rafah Crossing Point in order to monitor the movement of these people, and facilitate the operation.

The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EU BAM) at the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) celebrated today, Monday 22 May, a Medal Parade for those Mission officers who have completed their service and shall be returning to their home countries by the end of the month.

Border opening hours to be extended for two hours

The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EU BAM) at the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) announces that today, Sunday 26 March, will be extending the opening timeframe at RCP for two additional hours at the request of the Palestinian Authority.

From today, the border will open daily for 11 hours, from 8:00 to 19:00. Nevertheless, the last buses -both incoming from and outgoing to Egypt- will enter the Crossing before 18.00 hours, in order to close RCP no later than 19:00.

Today, the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EU BAM) performed its monitoring, mentoring, evaluating and capacity building duties at Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) like any other day, opening at 8:00 and closing at 17:00 hours.

The situation throughout the day was quiet at RCP, where 740 passengers crossed from Gaza into Egypt and 597 from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, adding to a total of 1.337 (the average number since EU BAM started operations on 26th November 2005 has been around 1.350/day).

In consideration of the tense situation in the Gaza Strip EU BAM monitors finished operations today at 15:45, one hour and fifteen minutes before than the regular closing time.

All buses and passengers that were present at the Rafah Border Crossing were smoothly processed before the Terminal was closed without any incidents whatsoever.

JULIO DE LA GUARDIA RIVERA
Press & Public Information Officer
Mobile Telephone: 054 4926836