CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi says he has ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza for the entire Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the longest length of time since 2013.

El-Sissi wrote on his official Twitter account late Thursday that the opening would "alleviate the burdens of the brothers in the Gaza Strip."

The announcement late Thursday comes days after Israeli fire killed nearly 60 Palestinians during a protest along the Gaza border.

The Rafah crossing is Gaza's main gate to the outside world. Egypt has kept Rafah largely sealed off since 2013, after the ouster of Egypt's elected Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.