Hamas: Gaza-Egypt border to be eased

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya announced border restrictions  soon to be eased between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Haniya met Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi on Thursday. He told supporters on Saturday that Morsi had agreed to relax border controls.Haniya said border open times will be extended by four hours to twelve hours a day. The number of people allowed to cross the border per day will be increased from 1,000 to 1,500. Hamas is the ruling party in the Gaza Strip and an offshoot of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas politicians have been working on improving the relationship with Cairo since the inauguration of the new Egyptian president.The border was strictly controlled under the former government of ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
Israel too appears to be trying to rebuild its relationship with Egypt to improve security. It is increasingly concerned about the deepening relationship between Hamas and Egypt.