Palestinians have formally opened a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt that will allow Palestinians to travel abroad freely for the first time since Israel occupied the coastal territory in 1967.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presided over the ceremonies at Rafah terminal.
The cross-border movement will be supervised by European Union monitors as part of a US-brokered deal which follows Israel's Gaza pullout last September.
The Rafah deployment marks the EU's first monitoring role in the Palestinian territories and is seen as a sign of improved Israel-EU relations.
But there are indications that ties might cool if the EU decides to endorse a draft report critical of Israeli policy in Arab East Jerusalem. The report recommends a more aggressive policy toward Israeli actions in the holy city.
The first travellers will be able to begin using the Rafah terminal tomorrow. Israel, citing security concerns, will keep on eye on traffic through a video link set up as part of the agreement.
