Gaza waits for Egyptian poll outcome

Expected rise of Muslim Brotherhood to affect fortunes of Palestinian enclave governed by its offshoot, Hamas.

gaza

As Egyptians go to the polls, many Palestinians hope Egypt’s future foreign policy will be more sympathetic to their cause.

Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, is an offshoot of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. It is expected to do well in the elections that began on Tuesday.

There is some concern that if the Muslim Brotherhood wins in Egypt and Hamas grows stronger, human rights in Gaza could suffer.

After the Egyptian revolution, the military council announced it would reopen the Rafah border crossing with Gaza. This is the only crossing not controlled by Israel.

Many Palestinians would like to see Egypt establish a full commercial crossing at Rafah.

Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston reports from Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera