Gaza, Palestinian territories. Israel said Gaza’s main border crossing at Rafah will reopen for Palestinians on Monday, with preparations underway at the enclave’s main gateway that has been largely shut for almost two years.
Rafah crossing reopening plan
Before the war, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt was the only direct exit point for most Gazans to reach the outside world and a key entry point for aid into the territory. It has been largely shut since May 2024 and under Israeli military control on the Gazan side.
COGAT, the Israeli military unit that oversees humanitarian coordination, said the crossing will reopen in both directions for Gaza residents on foot only, with operations coordinated with Egypt and the European Union.
COGAT said a pilot was underway to test and assess the operation of the crossing, and that movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, was expected to begin the next day.
A Palestinian official and a European source close to the EU mission confirmed the details. The Egyptian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Security checks and expected travelers
Israel has said the crossing would open under stringent security checks only for Palestinians who wish to leave the enclave and for those who fled the fighting in the first months of the war to return.
Many of those expected to leave are sick and wounded Gazans seeking medical care abroad. The Palestinian health ministry has said there are 20,000 patients waiting to leave Gaza.
An Israeli defence official said the crossing can hold between 150 and 200 people altogether in both directions, and that more people would be leaving than returning because patients travel with escorts.
Patients awaiting treatment abroad
Moustafa Abdel Hadi, a kidney patient in a central Gaza hospital awaiting a transplant abroad, said the Rafah crossing was a lifeline for patients because resources for treatment are not available in Gaza. He spoke while receiving dialysis at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital and said his travel request had been approved.
What do you expect the reopening of the Rafah crossing will change for Gaza residents seeking medical care abroad?
