Egypt recently announced that the Sinai-Gaza border crossing would be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. excluding Fridays and official holidays. Palestinian men who are between 18 to 40-years-old will need visas to cross the border. Older men, boys, and females of all ages, however, will be able to travel without a visa.

In the first hour alone on Saturday, over 300 people crossed the border. Some call the move by the post-Hosni Mubarak regime a milestone that should be interpreted as an incentive to reintegrate Gaza and Hamas.

Others including an officer from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories warn this new open border could increase the presence of weapons and terrorists from Egypt into Gaza.

28-year-old Khaled Halaweh, who crossed the border on the first day, told the Associated Press he was headed to Egypt to study. “The closure did not affect only the travel of passengers or the flowing of goods. Our brains and our thoughts were under blockade," Halaweh said. Now, Halaweh has a new sense of freedom after being unable to leave Gaza in nearly 7 years.

The new system will not resolve Gazans' travel woes completely. However, for many residents, it’s a huge step in the right direction.

Reach Mike Vulpo here