Israel’s military coordination body, COGAT, announced that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen on Sunday for the first time since May 2024, offering limited pedestrian movement after nearly two years of closure. The crossing—Gaza’s only direct gateway to the outside world not controlled by Israel—had been sealed amid fighting and security concerns linked to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Under the terms of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement, the reopening allows prioritised crossing for Gazans who left during the war and medical evacuees, with entry and exit vetted by Israeli and Egyptian authorities and supervised by the European Union Border Assistance Mission. Around 150 people per day may be permitted to cross initially, though the flow of humanitarian goods remains restricted pending further negotiations and security clearances.
Humanitarian organizations have welcomed the move as a key step toward alleviating Gaza’s dire humanitarian crisis, where shortages of food, medicine and medical care have persisted under prolonged blockade. However, aid groups stress that full reopening for aid deliveries and economic materials is essential for meaningful relief and reconstruction.
News as reported
