Rafah, Gaza Strip. Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing on Sunday for people to travel between Gaza and Egypt, COGAT said on Friday. The agency said returns from Egypt to Gaza will be limited to residents who left during the war and will require prior Israeli security clearance.
Reopening conditions and coordination
COGAT said the return of residents from Egypt 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.
Rafah’s role for Gaza residents
The Rafah crossing is effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there.
Control of the crossing and ceasefire context
Israel seized the border crossing in May 2024, about nine months into the Gaza war. Reopening it was a requirement under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to stop fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, which followed a ceasefire agreed in October.
Hostage recovery condition
Israel had said it would reopen the crossing only after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which took place this week.
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