The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will be opened Jan. 29 for two days. It's possible that the Egyptians will extend the period another day or two to reduce the enormous pressure that built up in Gaza after the crossing was closed for three weeks.

Egypt’s decision to close the crossing in early January came after Palestinian observers representing the Palestinian Authority received instructions from President Mahmoud Abbas to abandon their posts and return home. It seemed yet another stage in the escalating conflict between Fatah and Hamas, and that Egypt based the decision to close the crossing on security concerns alone. Only later was it discovered that Egypt had its own interests in shutting down the vital supply route to the Gaza Strip: to punish Hamas.

Al-Monitor has learned from a source in Hamas that the Egyptians were furious about Qatari involvement with Hamas, especially the financial aid. They were angry about the Qataris’ conspicuous foothold in Gaza and the elevation of Qatari envoy Mohammed El-Emadi to the status of veritable emir and savior of the Gaza Strip, and it led to further deterioration in the relationship between Gaza and Cairo.

Egypt is already involved up to its neck in everything pertaining to the arrangement between Israel and Hamas. It played a mediator role in all the armed conflicts between the parties, forcing them to reach cease-fires and preventing them from escalating to full-scale war that would have left Gaza in ruins. At the same time, Egypt has also invested considerable effort into a reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas. So far, it has led nowhere, but Egypt has promised the Hamas leadership in Gaza an unprecedented easing of restrictions, the opening of the Rafah border crossing to trade and an increase in power lines running from Egypt to Gaza. There has even been talk of greater use by Gaza of the Egyptian port in El-Arish.