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PA pulls out of Rafah, Hamas settles in

Fatah has withdrawn its staff from the Rafah border crossing and left it to Hamas in a major blow to the reconciliation process.
Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas stand guard at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, in the southern Gaza Strip, on January 8, 2019. - The Egyptian border crossing was closed for Palestinians seeking to leave Gaza on Tuesday, a border official said, as infighting between Palestinian factions increases. (Photo by SAID KHATIB / AFP)        (Photo credit should read SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images)
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CAIRO — The Palestinian Authority pulled its staff from the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt on Jan. 7 over what it called the “brutal practices” of Hamas, which controls the coastal enclave.

The PA said in a statement, “This decision comes in light of the latest developments and the brutal practices of the de facto gangs in our beloved sector and stems from responsibilities toward our beloved people in the Gaza Strip and in an attempt to alleviate the pressure from the blockade. Since we took over the Rafah crossing, Hamas has been hindering our employees there from doing their job. We endured a lot to give our Egyptian brethren a chance to try and end the division.”

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