Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 18, 2018
From the Liveblog of
Friday, May 18, 2018
UN peace envoy praises Egypt’s Sissi for Rafah crossing opening
The United Nations envoy for Middle East peace praises Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi for opening the Rafah border crossing with Gaza for the duration of Ramadan.
“This is an important and encouraging step by Egypt and I hope that the security situation will allow for a more regular movement,” says Nickolay Mladenov in a statement.
“Not only will Rafah’s extended opening contribute to de-escalating the explosive atmosphere in the Strip, it will also help ease the humanitarian burden on Palestinians in Gaza,” he adds.
This file photo taken on November 1, 2017, shows portraits of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and PA President Mahmoud Abbas hanging at the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. (AFP Photo/Said Khatib)
