RAFAH BORDER GATES RE-OPEN TEMPORARILY; EGYPT MAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000175 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON EAID KPAL EG IS SUBJECT: RAFAH BORDER GATES RE-OPEN TEMPORARILY; EGYPT MAY CLOSE BORDER TERMINAL FOR REPAIRS Classified by Counselor for Economic and Political Affairs, Catherine Hill-Herndon, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Embassy contacts at the Egypt/Gaza border confirmed on January 23 that both the Egyptian border crossing at Rafah and the Palestinian border terminal opened on January 22 for civilian crossings, and would remain open on January 23. The contacts said that approximately 1,600 Palestinians crossed from Egypt into Gaza on January 22, and many others would cross to Gaza on January 23. The traffic was only for Palestinians entering, not exiting, Gaza. ¶2. (C) MFA Palestinian Affairs Office Director Randa Labib confirmed the latest openings of the Rafah border terminals for inward travel to Gaza, during a January 23 phone conversation. Labib said she had information that the Egyptian Customs Authority planned to close the Egyptian terminal for "ten days" in the near future for unspecified "repair work." Labib said she had heard the news from Mark Otte, the European Union's Middle East Envoy, but had no further information on the timing of this projected closure. RICCIARDONE