Rafah crossing reopens
Palestinians have started entering the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt after it reopened for the movement of people. The crossing had largely been closed since May 2024, following the Israeli capture of the Gazan side.
The reopening was originally planned under the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas, which began in October. Israel delayed the reopening until the return of the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which occurred last week.
Limited movement allowed
While the crossing offers a lifeline for Palestinians, only small numbers of people will be allowed through, and no goods will pass. Israeli reports indicate that 50 patients, accompanied by one or two relatives, will be allowed to exit Gaza each day, alongside 50 people returning who left during the war.
Around 20,000 sick and wounded Palestinians are awaiting treatment outside Gaza, according to local hospitals and the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO will oversee the transfer of patients via bus from Hamas-controlled areas to the crossing, crossing the so-called “Yellow Line” into Israeli-controlled territory.
International oversight
The crossing will be managed by European Union supervisors and local Palestinian staff, while Israel conducts remote security checks. On Monday morning, an Israeli security official confirmed that the crossing had “now opened to the movement of residents, for both entry and exit” following the arrival of EU Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) teams.
Al Qahera News TV reported that the first batch of Palestinians returning from Egypt had already entered Gaza, citing Egyptian efforts to facilitate movement.
Personal stories highlight urgency
Sabrine al-Da’ma, a Palestinian mother, told the BBC she hoped to travel with her 16-year-old daughter, Rawa, who suffers from kidney disease. Al-Da’ma plans to donate one of her kidneys to Rawa.
“Since the war started, because of food shortages and hunger, she began dialysis,” she said. “We hope they will speed up our referral so that we can travel quickly, because she is getting exhausted. I am also 45, and they may tell me that as I get older, I won’t be able to donate anymore. That’s why we’re rushing.”
Background and context
Before Israel’s seizure in 2024, the Rafah crossing was Gaza’s main exit point and a key entry route for humanitarian aid. Currently, aid from Egypt enters via Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing. More than 30,000 Gazans have registered with the Palestinian embassy in Cairo to return.
The reopening follows the retrieval of Master Sgt Ran Gvili’s remains, one of 251 Israelis abducted by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attack that killed approximately 1,200 people. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 71,790 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Source: BBC
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