GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinians have been wondering if Hamas is trying to replace the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom commercial crossing with the Egypt-controlled Rafah land crossing, which is currently dedicated to individuals only. Kerem Shalom is considered the only outlet for the Gaza Strip to receive humanitarian goods.
Palestinian protesters on May 11 raided the Kerem Shalom crossing east of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, and set it on fire during the Great Return March, which began March 30. Hamas, which controls the security services in the Gaza Strip, didn't prevent the incident, which raises questions about the movement’s goal. Previously, the same crossing had been burned on May 4 and after some repairs, it reopened May 6.
