GAZA, Aug. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- "How beautiful the freedom is," hailedNihad Abu Jazzar, a 22-year-old female student, the moment shestepped out of the bus which carried about 60 Palestinians, who hadbeen stranded at the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Stripand Egypt for 19 days.

   Then she hugged her mother and sister who had been waiting forher at the terminal since early hours in the morning after theylearned Thursday that Israel intended to reopen the terminal onFriday.

   "The situation inside the terminal at the Egyptian side wastragic; we slept on the ground and we have nowhere to go," said AbuJazzar. "I was not able to take a shower for 19 days, and therewere no toilets."

   The bus, which arrived at the southern Gaza town of Rafah aroundnoon Friday, was the first one that drove through the Rafahterminal since it was closed by the Israeli army 19 days ago.   Hundreds of people, most of whom were relatives of thetravelers, crossed the barbed wire the Palestinian police put onthe road at the terminal, cheering and climbing onto the bus togive a warm welcome to their relatives returning home.   Men, women and children coming out of the bus looked exhaustedand were given food and water by relatives who had been waiting atthe terminal for hours.

   Israel closed down the terminal to Palestinian travelers on July18 claiming that it has information that the Palestinians had dug abooby-trapped tunnel under an Israeli army post at the terminal.   The sudden closure left 3,400 Palestinians, including women andchildren stranded at the Egyptian side of the terminal and caused asevere humanitarian crisis.

   Crammed into a parking lot about half the size of a soccer fieldfor 19 days, many of the Palestinians slept on the sands and thefloor of the terminal, while hundreds stayed in nearby motels orrented flats in the towns lying in the desert of Sinai.   Israel reopened Rafah terminal at 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) Friday underinternational pressure, especially that from the United States andEgypt, according to Palestinian security sources.

   With tears pouring down her cheeks, Fatheya Hussein, 40,  toldreporters "it was so horrible there, I have never passed in my lifesuch humiliation."

   "I felt that I and my baby would not return to Gaza, I felt thatall of us were in a big jail and I feel now that I'm free," saidHussein, carrying her one-year-old baby girl in  arms.   "How come hundreds living in a desert, want to go home and noone was able to help them?" she asked.

   Safeya al Masri, a 54-year-old Palestinian woman said, "TheEgyptian Red Crescent Society brought us water and food, but we hadno mood to eat because we were so worried about getting back home."

   Living in the United Arab Emirates, al Masri wanted to visit herchildren in the Gaza Strip.

   Abu Salim Abu Safeya, director of Palestinian TerminalsAuthorities, said that the first two days after reopening would beonly for those who were stranded at the Egyptian side, adding thatas soon as "we finish with their return, people from Gaza cantravel abroad through the terminal."

   Locating on the borderline between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, theRafah terminal is Gaza's only exit to the outside world, but itremains under Israeli control.

   In addition, Abu Safeya announced that Israel has informed thePalestinian side that all restrictions imposed on the Palestiniantravel and movement have been lifted.

   Israel previously banned men and women aging between 16 and 36to leave the Gaza Strip for security reasons.  Enditem