Gaza’s Rafah Crossing Reopens to Limited Travel Under the Ceasefire

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Monday for limited passenger travel, according to the Associated Press (via Michigan Public) and Al Jazeera. It had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024, and the reopening is a step in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October.

Israel described the opening as a limited “pilot phase” for Gaza residents on foot in both directions, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday, citing the Israeli agency that coordinates civilian affairs in Gaza, which said operations would be coordinated with Egypt and the European Union. The crossing, which was shut for nearly two years, had been jointly managed before the war by Palestinian and Egyptian authorities in coordination with Israel, according to Al Jazeera.

An Egyptian official said 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction on the first day, both the AP and Al Jazeera reported. Al Jazeera said only five medical patients actually left that day, accompanied by two companions each in line with Israeli orders; the AP separately reported that an official said each patient could travel with two relatives. Egyptian officials told Reuters, as cited by Al Jazeera on Sunday, that they expected about 200 people, including patients and family members, to enter Egypt each day at first, with about 50 returning to Gaza.

Israel and Egypt will vet travelers, the AP said. Al Jazeera described a fuller picture: daily candidate lists go to Israel for security screening, and the European Union Border Assistance Mission monitors the process and verifies identities. Egypt’s health ministry has 150 hospitals ready to receive evacuated patients, both outlets reported, and the Egyptian Red Crescent has set up support areas on the Egyptian side, according to Fox News (carrying the AP report) and Al Jazeera.

The need is large. The AP reported that about 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave through the crossing. Al Jazeera, citing Gaza’s government media office, put the number of wounded or sick people who need treatment abroad at about 22,000, and said about 80,000 Palestinians who left during the war want to return.

The reopening is tied to the ceasefire. The AP and Al Jazeera both described it as evidence of progress in the second phase of the deal, while Al Jazeera noted the lack of clear details on how much humanitarian aid will enter Gaza and said the United Nations has said Gaza needs at least 600 trucks of supplies daily.

Before the war, Rafah was Gaza’s main link to the outside world, Fox News noted.