GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Following the developments in neighboring Egypt and the dramatic fallout between the army-backed Egyptian leadership and the Hamas government in Gaza, the Rafah border crossing has been closed in the face of Palestinians seeking to travel outside of the Gaza Strip.
Due to the protracted closure of the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Rafah crossing with Egypt has become the only accessible avenue for 1.7 million Palestinians living in the blockaded Gaza Strip. The closure of the Rafah crossing, therefore, has had a grave impact on the humanitarian situation of Palestinians stranded in the Gaza Strip.