Egypt temporarily lifts its side of Gaza blockade after deadly Israeli raid on aid flotilla

Egypt lifts its side of Gaza blockade for aid

CAIRO — An Egyptian official says the government is temporarily lifting its blockade of the Gaza Strip to allow aid into the area a day after Israel raided an international flotilla carrying supplies to the Palestinian territory and killed nine activists.

The governor of northern Sinai, Murad Muwafi, says President Hosni Mubarak ordered the opening of the border crossing to Gaza in the town of Rafah for several days.

Muwafi says the opening of the crossing — which Egypt sealed after Gaza was taken over by Hamas militants in 2007 — is an effort to “alleviate the suffering of our Palestinian brothers after the Israeli attack” on the flotilla.