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This is why Israel was watching the revolution in Egypt so warily. The Foreign Ministry has announced that it will reopen a border crossing with the Gaza Strip, ending a blockade of the territory that's been in place since Hamas took control in 2007. The blockade is deeply unpopular within Egypt, and ministry spokeswoman Menha Bakhoum's announcement that it would be lifted “as quickly as possible” was met with cheers from a crowd that marched toward the Foreign Ministry building in Cairo. Deposed President Hosni Mubarak had pursued close ties with Israel during his reign, but since his ouster, Egypt has been reaching out to Hamas, an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood that both the United States and Israel consider a terrorist organization. Israel remained quiet on the subject of the border reopening, while the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a statement saying, “The U.S. supports efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Efforts should also ensure that the transfer of weapons or other materiel and financial support for terrorism is blocked.”