Rafah: Israel announced Sunday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen for movement in both directions starting Wednesday, allowing limited travel of people. Israeli government agency COGAT stated that the decision was made following a security assessment and an examination of the conditions enabling the resumption of operations at the crossing.
According to Anadolu Agency, the terminal will operate with limited passenger movement while maintaining the necessary security restrictions in light of the security situation and threats in the area. COGAT noted that the crossing will function under the same mechanism that existed before its closure and will be subject to the relevant security directives.
The movement of passengers through the crossing will be coordinated with Egypt, requiring prior security approval by Israel and supervision by the European Union mission. Additional screening and identification procedures will be conducted along the 'Regavim' route, which is operated by Israel in areas under army control.
On February 2, Israel partially reopened the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which it has occupied since May 2024, but under very limited conditions and strict restrictions. However, on February 28, Israel announced the closure of all crossings in the Palestinian territories following the outbreak of war with Iran.
On March 3, the Israeli army began a gradual reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing under security restrictions, with aid entry into the Gaza Strip based on needs identified by the UN and international humanitarian groups. Palestinian estimates in Gaza indicate that around 22,000 wounded people and patients need to leave the enclave for treatment abroad due to the collapse of the territory's healthcare system following a two-year Israeli war.
Before the war, hundreds of Palestinians used the Rafah crossing daily to travel to Egypt, while hundreds returned to the enclave in regular movement. At that time, the crossing was operated by Gaza's Interior Ministry in coordination with Egypt, without Israeli involvement.
A ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza on October 10, 2025, following the Israeli war that left more than 72,000 Palestinians dead and over 171,000 injured, while destroying about 90% of the enclave's civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.