The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reopened on a limited and trial basis early Sunday, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
The latest opening was mainly to test technical and security systems, with only a small number of people allowed to pass through as part of the test.
The two-way passage for residents is expected to begin on Monday.
A joint monitoring team comprising Egyptian representatives, European Union observers and Israeli officials has been deployed at the site to oversee identity checks and security system tests.
At the initial pilot phase, the Rafah border crossing will be opened for the passage of residents only. People must submit their application at least 24 hours in advance and undergo remote security vetting by Israeli agencies.
Rafah border crossing reopens on limited, trial basis: sources
China has increased transportation capacity in its air, highway and railway systems to handle a busier 40-day Spring Festival travel rush, which is set to begin on Monday and expected to see 9.5 billion cross-regional passenger trips.
Each year during the period, millions of people working, studying, or living away from their hometowns return for the Spring Festival, China's most important traditional holiday, forming the world's largest annual human migration.
The railway network in China has geared up to meet the growing travel demand. It is capable of scheduling over 14,000 passenger trains per day during the peak period of the travel rush, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent in transportation capacity.
"By analyzing data flows, we are now capable of tracking passengers' demands and dynamically managing transportation capacity in areas such as ticket purchasing, waitlist management, and transportation capacity adjustments so that the transportation resources will be used more effectively to meet passengers' travel needs," said Zhang Zhiqiang, head of the operation support department at the China Railway 12306 Technology Center.
During the travel rush, China's civil aviation sector is expected to schedule an average of 19,400 flights per day, increasing by 5 percent year on year.
Helping meet capacity, a new terminal was put into test operation at Sanya Phoenix International Airport on Sunday to facilitate smooth travel in the island province of Hainan, which is a popular tourism destination for people from home and abroad during the Spring Festival holiday.
The country is also expected to handle record-high daily self-driving trips and highway traffic volume during the travel rush period.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, falls on February 17 this year. The official holiday lasts nine days, with the travel rush running through March 13.
China increases transportation capacity to handle busier Spring Festival travel rush
