Egypt to increase trade with Gaza starting Sunday - report

• Author: TZVI JOFFRE
• Published date: 07 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

According to the report, the Egyptians agreed to allow more construction materials, including iron, to be imported into Gaza through the Rafah crossing and to supply "large quantities of goods" to the coastal enclave. The export of goods from Gaza, including agricultural products, handicrafts and furniture, will also reportedly be allowed to external markets.

The delegation also received a commitment from Egypt to allow Palestinian merchants to travel through the Rafah crossing and to allow them into Cairo through coordination carried out by the Gaza Chamber of Commerce, the Interior Ministry in Gaza, and Egyptian Authorities.

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Egypt plans to install electronic monitoring devices at the Rafah crossing in order to prevent the smuggling of weapons and dual-use items into the Gaza Strip, according to the Al-Akhbar report, as part of an agreement reached by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

Walid Al Husari, the head of a private sector delegation to Cairo, confirmed to Al-Akhbar that he had received promises from the Egyptians to increase the volume of trade between Egypt and Gaza and allow the entry of more and new items into the Strip through the Rafah crossing, such as iron, electrical tools, equipment and machinery for factories, medical equipment, cars, medicine, spare parts and glass. The private sector delegation reportedly presented the Egyptians with a list of demands, including the lowering of taxes on goods entering Gaza.

THE HAMAS delegation currently visiting Cairo is expected to stay until Sunday when the agreement is expected to be implemented. A delegation from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement is also expected to visit Cairo in the coming days.

The delegation, headed by the movement's leader Ismail Haniyeh, continued efforts to reach an agreement of calm and prisoner swapping during the visit to Egypt, while warning against "violations" of Jerusalem and Palestinian prisoners.

During a meeting with Egypt's Intelligence Minister Maj.-Gen. Abbas Kamel, the delegation discussed the situation in Jerusalem, including in Sheikh Jarrah and on the Temple Mount, as well as ways to "curb the behavior" of Israel in Jerusalem, the Hamas movement announced on Tuesday.

A Jerusalem Magistrate Court issued a ruling on Wednesday indicating support for allowing quiet...