Rafah crossing, between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, registers movement on the eve of reopening

Rafah crossing will reopen to civilians this Monday The Rafah crossing, on the Gaza Strip border with Egypt, showed activity this Sunday (1st), while Israel stated that limited travel in and out of the territory should resume on Monday (2), after years of almost total isolation. The reopening of the crossing is a key step as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas progresses. Trucks with humanitarian aid and ambulances lined up to pass through the point this Sunday, amid the reopening on a test basis. COGAT, the Israeli military body that controls the entry of aid into Gaza, said in a statement that the post was being actively prepared for a broader operation, highlighting that Gaza residents would begin crossing the border on Monday. Rafah is a city south of Gaza and was the main crossing for people entering and leaving Gaza. The point has been largely closed since it was taken by Israel in May 2024. It is the only exit from the Gaza Strip to the outside that does not pass through Israel. The reopening was requested by the United Nations (UN) and international NGOs to allow aid to enter the Palestinian territory, devastated by two years of war against the terrorist group Hamas. Trucks with humanitarian aid are seen near the Rafah crossing, between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, this Sunday (1st) Mohamed Arafat/AP Israel announced that the border crossing will be limited “to the transit of inhabitants” of the Gaza Strip. “The return of Egyptian residents to the Gaza Strip will be permitted, in coordination with Egypt, only for residents who left Gaza during the course of the war, and only after prior security clearance by Israel,” COGAT said. Some 20,000 Palestinian children and adults in need of medical care hope to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing, while thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to return home. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will allow 50 patients to leave per day. According to an official involved in the negotiations, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, each patient will be able to travel with two relatives, while around 50 people who left Gaza during the war will be able to return daily. Israel said that, together with Egypt, it will screen people for entry and exit through the crossing, which will be supervised by European Union border agents. The expectation is that the number of travelers will increase over time, if the system is successful. Infographic shows boundaries between Gaza Strip, Rafah, Israel and Egypt. Editoria de arte/g1 Negotiations after ceasefire agreement The partial reopening comes a day after Israeli attacks killed at least 30 Palestinians, including several children, according to authorities. The bombings resulted in one of the highest death tolls since the ceasefire began in October. The day before, Israel accused Hamas of further violations of the truce. Israel had stated that it would only reopen the crossing after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which occurred last week. Nicolay Mladenov, director general of Trump’s Gaza peace council, on Sunday posted a message on X calling on parties to “exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire.” He said his office works with the Palestinian committee chosen to oversee Gaza to “find ways to prevent future incidents.” Ambulances line up to cross the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip, on the eve of its official reopening Mohamed Arafat/AP Also on Sunday, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora stated that it is “moving forward to close” the operations of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Gaza. The move comes after Israel suspended the group’s activities in Gaza in December after it refused to comply with new Israeli registration requirements, which required organizations to submit lists of local employees. The organization said the new rules could put its Palestinian team at risk. “The MSF will cease its operations and leave the Gaza Strip by February 28, 2026,” the ministry said in a statement, using the acronym for the organization’s French name. The organization did not immediately comment, but wrote on Friday on X that it had finalized its decision not to share employee lists. The current ceasefire has halted more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas, which began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The first phase of the truce called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, an increase in critically needed humanitarian aid, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops. The second phase is more complex. It envisages the installation of a new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and measures to begin reconstruction.

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