Egypt and Hamas' open air prison

Israel haters love to claim that Gaza is an Israeli open-air prison.

Gazans know better.

The crisis of stranded travelers in the Gaza Strip continues, with thousands of people wishing to leave the Strip still waiting.

Informed sources told Al-Ayyam newspaper that the crisis that started since last May is still continuing, especially in the departure route, as thousands are waiting for their turn to travel from the Gaza Strip.

The crisis continues despite the departure of more than 3,200 passengers per week, and the stranded people have appealed to the Egyptian authorities to speed up their exit from the Strip, by increasing the number of departures, and opening the crossing for an additional day per week, so that work will become six days instead of five.

Those stuck in the Gaza Strip are forced to purchase the express travel service through a specialized company, in order to expedite their departure from the Strip, despite its high financial cost....

With regard to the arrival route, the source confirmed that returning to the Strip is easier, but there is suffering in the journey to come, due to the turbulent conditions in the Sinai Peninsula and the long hours of travelers staying at the Egyptian army checkpoints, in order to allow them to reach the crossing.

The Rafah crossing operates five days a week from Sunday to Thursday.

Hamas publishes the list of people allowed to leave every day. They are the ones who decide who can stay and who can go.