Turkey hopes Rafah opening spurs Israel to lift Gaza blockade

Turkey on Sunday welcomed Egypt's decision to permanently open the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, saying it hopes the Egyptian move will lead Israel to reconsider its Gaza blockade. "We believe that the reopening of the Rafah gate will help ease the difficult conditions and sufferings that people of Gaza were subjected to," said a Foreign Ministry statement. "We hope this step leads Israel to reconsider the inhumane blockade it has imposed on the people of Gaza." It also praised Egypt, which brokered a reconciliation deal between Hamas and its rival Palestinian group Fatah earlier this month, for opening the Rafah gate. "We congratulate the Egyptian government for this significant contribution to improving the daily living conditions of the people of Gaza, which came in addition to its efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Palestine," the statement said.