The reopening of Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt marks a formal step in the ceasefire framework, but movement remains tightly restricted and humanitarian conditions inside the territory remain dire.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened Monday under the terms of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, a development officials described as procedurally significant but limited in immediate impact, as no commercial goods were permitted and only a small number of Palestinians were approved to travel in either direction.
During the first hours of operation, no visible crossings were observed. An Egyptian official said approximately 50 Palestinians were expected to cross into Egypt and another 50 to return to Gaza on the first day. Gaza health officials estimate that roughly 20,000 Palestinians—many of them children—are seeking evacuation for medical treatment unavailable inside the war-damaged territory. At the same time, thousands of Palestinians currently outside Gaza hope to return through the crossing.
Confirmation of the reopening came from state-run Egyptian media and an Israeli security official. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.
Before the war, Rafah served as Gaza’s primary gateway to the outside world for people. All other crossings are shared with Israel. Under the ceasefire that took effect in October, Israeli forces continue to control the corridor between Rafah and the densely populated areas of Gaza, limiting the crossing’s operational scope.
Despite the truce, violence persisted Monday. Gaza hospital officials reported that an Israeli navy vessel fired on a tent camp along the coast, killing a 3-year-old Palestinian boy. Israel’s military said it was reviewing the report.
Outside a Gaza hospital, Rajaa Abu Mustafa waited with her 17-year-old son, Mohamed, who is scheduled for evacuation. He lost his sight after being shot in the eye last year while trying to obtain food from aid trucks east of Khan Younis. “We have been waiting for the crossing to open,” she said. “Now it’s opened and the health ministry called and told us that we will travel to Egypt for (his) treatment.”
Egyptian authorities said around 150 hospitals across the country have been designated to receive Palestinian patients evacuated through Rafah. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it has established “safe spaces” on the Egyptian side of the crossing to assist evacuees arriving from Gaza.
Since the start of the war, Israel has barred Palestinians from being transferred to hospitals in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, which had previously been the primary destinations for advanced medical care unavailable in Gaza.
Israeli officials said Israel and Egypt will jointly vet travelers passing through Rafah. The crossing will be overseen by European Union border monitors with a limited Palestinian administrative presence. Officials said the number of crossings could gradually increase if the process functions as intended.
Egypt has repeatedly warned against any attempt to use the crossing to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza, emphasizing that Rafah must remain a point of entry as well as exit. Historically, both Israel and Egypt have screened Palestinians seeking to cross.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 520 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10. UNICEF has said more than 100 of those killed were children. Overall, the ministry reports more than 71,700 Palestinians killed since Israel launched its military offensive. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but maintains detailed casualty records that United Nations agencies and independent experts generally consider credible.
Israeli forces seized control of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, describing the move as part of efforts to prevent arms smuggling by Hamas. The crossing was briefly opened in early 2025 during a short ceasefire to allow limited medical evacuations.
Israel had resisted reopening Rafah, but officials said the recovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza removed a major obstacle to moving forward.
The reopening is viewed as a procedural milestone as the U.S.-brokered ceasefire enters its second phase. If the truce holds, officials say Rafah’s operations are expected to expand.
The ceasefire halted more than two years of fighting that began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Its first phase included the exchange of hostages for Palestinian detainees, an increase in humanitarian aid and a partial Israeli military withdrawal.
The second phase outlines more complex steps, including the establishment of a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and initial measures toward reconstruction.
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