Egypt intends to open its border with Gaza permanently to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians under an Israeli blockade but the mechanics of such a step are still being worked out, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
The initiative suggests a further policy shift since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak, whose government co-operated with Israel in enforcing a blockade on the Gaza Strip which is controlled by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.
Under Mubarak, Egypt only sporadically opened up the border for food and medicine, or to let through people, mainly those seeking medical treatment or travelling to study from the area of about 1.5 million Palestinians.
That system has broadly stayed in place since Mubarak was pushed out on February 11. "The intention is there to open it on a permanent basis to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians, but all the mechanics on how it is going to work are under study," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Menha Bakhoum told Reuters. She said the issue was being studied "at all levels" but did not say when this might be implemented.
Egypt has brokered a reconciliation deal between Palestinian factions, due to be signed this week, and Cairo has signalled it is ready for closer diplomatic relations with Iran that have been severed for about three decades.
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