Gaza reopens to the south, but for how long?

A fleet of yellow taxis line up outside Gaza's newly reopened Rafah crossing into Egypt, polished and ready to roll, but who knows for how long.

It's been two weeks since one of Gaza's few gates to the outside world swung open, after years of blockade.

Life is trickling back into the economy. Jaber Abu Talal is a transit taxi driver, who relies on the crossing.

"It’s good that the crossing is open, we will be making a living. When the crossing is closed, we stay at home. These cars have no work inside the town."

What unlocked the door were Egyptian-brokered talks between rival Palestinian factions to smooth the way for possible elections.

Egypt had been opening Rafah rarely, and for just a few days at a time.

There's no airport in Gaza and an Israeli-led blockade on people and goods has inflicted grave hardship for years.

Hepatitis patient Uday Zaanin was waiting to board a bus.

"It is a lifeline for the Gaza Strip and its people, we don't have another crossing, our only crossing is Rafah crossing to Egypt and then on to other countries. When it is closed that means Gaza is dead and we feel like we're in prison. When it is open we can breathe and we can travel where we want."

About 2 million Palestinians live in the 140-square-mile Gaza strip, where uncertainty is a fact of life.

Israel and Egypt cite security concerns for the restrictions, pointing to the fact that Gaza is controlled by the Islamist militant group Hamas.