Egyptian authorities on Wednesday reopened the Rafah border crossing with Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip for five days.

"The terminal was reopened by Egyptian authorities for five days in both directions," the Gaza border authority said in a statement.

According to the statement, students, patients and foreign residency holders will be allowed to cross the terminal during the five-day period.

Earlier this month, Egyptian authorities opened the border crossing for four consecutive days, allowing some 3,000 Gazans -- mostly medical patients and students -- to enter Egyptian territory.

According to Hamas-run interior ministry, around 24,000 Palestinians are waiting to cross the Rafah crossing, Gaza's only means of access to the outside world not under Israeli control.

Since the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in a 2013 military coup, Egypt has kept the border with Gaza mostly sealed.

In 2015, the Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing for 21 days to limited traffic, according to Gaza's Interior Ministry.

The long periods of closure at the crossing have brought the territory's 1.9 million inhabitants to the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe.