Rafah, Gaza Strip ? A Palestinian who had to delay graduate school in Malaysia and an elderly man forced to put off eye surgery in Egypt are among thousands anxiously trying to get out of Gaza now that the blockaded territory’s gateway to the world has opened just a little.

A Hamas-run passenger terminal on the Gaza side of the border was packed on Tuesday with hundreds of Gazans trying to get clearance just to approach the crossing into Egypt. It was a chaotic scene, with stressed passengers arguing with overwhelmed Hamas border officials.

“Move back!” a Hamas official barked at the crowd from a hand-held microphone. Nearby, a black-clad policeman raised his club threateningly to cut short an argument with a middle-aged man.

Many of Gaza’s 1.5 million people have been forced to put their lives on hold during the three years the territory’s borders were sealed by Israel and Egypt, following the violent takeover by the Islamic militant Hamas.

Now, following last week’s deadly Israeli raid on a blockade-busting flotilla, there is a glimmer of hope the darkest days may be over. In the wake of the assault that killed nine pro-Palestinian activists, world leaders have demanded the embargo be lifted or loosened.

Egypt’s promise to keep the Rafah crossing open every day, rather than just sporadically, marks the first tangible improvement.