Palestinians go to Egypt for medical treatment

Palestinian travelers passed through the vital Rafah crossing into Egypt on Friday for the first time in 38 years without Israeli oversight.

The Palestinians, who took control of Gaza last week, opened the crossing for two days to allow for the passage of people seeking medical treatment, or studying or residing permanently abroad, the AP informs.

Israel shut down Gaza's official gateway to Egypt two weeks ago just before completing its pullout from the coastal strip. Israel wants it to remain sealed for months, for a technological upgrade and to test the Palestinians' ability to take control in Gaza.

Thousands of Palestinians busted through the border last week after the last of the Israeli troops, but the frontier was later sealed to stop the chaos.

A sealed-off Rafah has reinforced Palestinians' perceptions that they are still occupied by Israel.