JERUSALEM, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- Israel and the Palestinians have reached a long-sought agreement on the Gaza-Egypt border crossing, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.
The decision on how to man the crossing area came after marathon talks in Jerusalem that extended into the morning hours. Rice, who presided over the final rounds of talks, praised the deal as a "big step forward" in strained Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Under the deal, the border would tentatively open Nov. 25 -- one week from Friday -- and construction of a Gaza seaport would begin, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
Palestinians would be able to travel between the West Bank and Gaza in bus convoys through Israel. The agreement gives the Palestinians control over a border for the first time and will provide a much-needed boost to the shattered Gaza economy.
Rice, who postponed her departure from the region Monday to hold further talks on the border issue, was to leave Tuesday for South Korea.
