Gaza City/Cairo - Egypt on Saturday temporarily reopened its border crossing with the Gaza Strip for three days to allow Gazans to cross into Egypt, Gaza's Hamas
-controlled Interior Ministry said.

Egypt has opened the border for a few hours many times in the past but Saturday's decision was unusual in that the border would remain open for 72 days.

Thousands of Palestinians, including students, patients who need urgent medical treatment and Gazans who hold second passports would be crossing into Egypt on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Hamas said.

While the Rafah crossing has remained closed for more than two years, since Hamas solidified its control of the territory, Egypt has allowed aid to pass into the Gaza Strip
- albeit subject to Israeli restrictions on items, such as concrete, that Israel fears could be used to make weapons.

Security on the Palestinian side of the territory used to be run by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' presidential guards, under European inspectors' observation. When Hamas routed security forces from the rival Fatah faction and took control of Gaza in 2007, the EU inspectors left and Hamas dismissed Abbas' presidential guards.

Israel and Egypt had agreed that the Rafah border crossing would not be opened until captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is released and Hamas and Fatah reach a deal to form a "national unity" government.

Palestinian officials have expressed optimism that a Palestinian reconciliation deal may be signed on July 7, and Israeli and Arab newspapers have recently reported that a deal on Shalit's release may be close. (dpa)