The Rafiah border terminal was open all of last week, but Egypt has said it plans to close the crossing on Thursday.
According to a report published Tuesday in the Arabic-language Al-Ahram newspaper, President Hosni Mubarak ordered the crossing opened during Israel's counterterrorist military operation, which began December 27.
Injured Gaza residents were transferred to Egypt through the crossing, and humanitarian aid was delivered into the region during the three-week Operation Cast Lead, according to the report.
Last week more than 200 medical patients traveled to Egypt from Gaza through the Rafiah Crossing, according to Chris Gunness, Jerusalem-based spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
A weekly update published by the agency on February 1 indicated that the crossing was open for six days last week, during which time a delegation of 39 Jordanians traveled to Gaza, in addition to 290 other foreign nationals. "In addition, 39 truckloads of medical aid and seven ambulances entered Gaza via Rafiah," Gunness told Israel National News.
All movement at the Rafiah border is in coordination with Israel, according to outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's spokesman Mark Regev. He refused to elaborate or reply to specific questions concerning the opening and closing of the border.
Egypt is considering reopening the border to allow import of construction materials blocked by Israel, according to Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. The group has been negotiating with Egyptian officials to open the Rafiah Crossing in order to bring in construction materials that it said would be used for reconstruction of buildings destroyed in bombing by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead.
However, Israel has been opposed to allowing construction materials that could be used by Hamas and allied terrorists to build more tunnels, bunkers or rockets. The Jewish State has set as a condition for opening the Rafiah Crossing the return of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who remains in captivity with Hamas in Gaza.