Egypt opens border with Gaza temporarily, first time in 2018

Palestinian women attend a rally in Gaza City to show solidarity with prisoners held in Israeli jails May 3, 2012. A hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners against Israel's jail policies has swollen in weeks from a protest by a handful to a national movement with around 1,400 participants. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - GM1E8531DBM01

Egyptian officials say the country has opened its border with the Gaza Strip for the first time this year.

The two officials said the Rafah crossing point would operate for three days on a humanitarian basis. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to brief the media.

The Palestinian embassy in Cairo confirmed the opening of Gaza's main gateway to the outside world.

Thousands of Gaza residents are on travel lists most of them medical patients, students and holders of residency permits of other countries. Only a few thousand will make it out in the time allotted.

The announcement comes amid warnings of a health-care crisis in Gaza, home to 2 million people.

Egypt has kept Rafah mostly closed since Hamas took over the territory in 2007.