Palestinian police officers are calling for people to sneak into a checkpoint separating them from a rally in Khan Yunis. They will finally be able to leave the besieged Gaza Strip through Egypt, some for the first time in their lives.

Many of these lucky ones came with one bag or a sports bag, which they put between their legs in the Yusuf al-Najjar Sports Hall in Khan Yunis, which Hamas turned into a waiting room for passengers through the Rafah crossing. From here, they will take buses to the border crossing with Egypt, a distance of about 20 minutes, before they can enter Sinai in Egyptian territory.

The Rafah crossing is the only way for Gazans to get out into the world. Israel has been besieging the Gaza Strip since the Hamas takeover of it in 2007. The area is 360 square kilometers, with some 2 million people living there. Israel has tightened restrictions on the only land crossing between Gaza and Israeli territory and has often closed it entirely after security tensions.

After improved relations between Egypt and Hamas in recent months, Egypt reopened the Rafah crossing on May 12. About 200 people leave every day, except on weekends.

Passage permits are limited to students, patients requiring medical treatment, pilgrims and pilgrims, foreign nationals and foreign stays.

Priority for those who pay

Misleh Derby, a 21-year-old student at the Faculty of Medicine in Egypt, is waiting in the sun, watching cigarette vendors, tea and coffee calling for their goods outside the waiting room.

For three years, Darby did not visit his family, fearing he would not be able to return. The crossing had been opened about 10 days a year and was often closed.

"I returned last June to visit my parents," he says. "Although I have been registered with the Ministry of the Interior since June to leave," with the start of the university year, "but I was delayed to get permission to leave, so I was delayed for two weeks."

"Some students paid extra fees and they traveled before me," he said, noting that he had lost a full university year due to the intermittent opening and closing of the crossing.

In the waiting room, many reluctantly say they have paid "between $ 1,500 and $ 2,000" for what they call "coordination" to ensure that they are included on the list of departures. It is difficult to know who the money goes to.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the Hamas movement in Gaza, Ayad al-Bazm, denies any Palestinian official receiving money. "Nobody pays here," he said.

"We have a list of thousands of Gazans on the waiting list to get out of the Strip, and they are usually informed via the Internet of their arrival," he says.

Abdullah leaves his pockets with cigarettes that he sells as extra work, while buses prepare to move.

"One way, no return." Khalil, an architecture student who only had his first name, dreams of "leaving the country and returning to Germany, where he was born." But he did not get the nationality. "One way, no return," he says with a shy smile.

"Outside, it's different, any creative person can succeed," he says in response to a question about why he does not want to go back.

He says two of his friends are Hagara, pointing out that he needs more than $ 3,000 to take the same adventure in turn, including $ 2,000 to pass through Rafah.

"Sometimes, passengers have to sleep on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing because of the Sinai curfew imposed from 5 pm local time," an Egyptian official said. "There are several checkpoints on the road."

"Before Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, the journey to Cairo took six hours and now it takes at least 48 hours," complains Hossam Ajour, 35, who completes his history studies in Egypt.

Aida Baraka, 53, came to try her luck, but her name was not written on the website. "I have applied since mid-June to leave to visit my niece in Jordan," she says.

- Passage permits are limited to students and patients

They need medical treatment, pilgrims,

Foreign nationals and foreign stays.

- Many say they paid between 1,500

And $ 2,000, for what they call "coordination" even

Ensure that their names are included on the list of departures.