Rafah crossing to reopen for Gaza travel
Israel says border with Egypt will open Sunday for limited civilian movement, excluding aid and commercial goods
RAFAH, Palestine (MNTV) — Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, allowing limited civilian movement for the first time since it attacked and seized the crossing in May 2024, Israeli authorities said.
The Israeli agency responsible for coordinating civilian affairs in Gaza, COGAT, said the reopening would permit the return of Gaza residents who had left for Egypt during the war, subject to prior Israeli security clearance and coordination with Egyptian authorities.
COGAT did not specify how many people would be allowed to cross daily from Gaza’s population of more than two million, though a source familiar with the discussions said Israel is seeking to cap returns at around 150 people per day.
The reopening follows Israel’s recovery this week of the body of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza, a condition Israeli officials had previously set for resuming operations at the crossing.
Israel captured the Rafah crossing in May 2024, effectively closing Gaza’s only direct gateway to Egypt. Reopening the crossing was included as a requirement under the first phase of a U.S.-backed plan led by President Donald Trump to halt fighting between Israel and Hamas, following a ceasefire reached in October.
While Israel intends to reopen the crossing, negotiations with Egypt over entry conditions are still ongoing. Israel has previously pushed to ensure that more Palestinians exit Gaza than enter through Rafah, a proposal Egypt has rejected.
The reopening will be restricted solely to the movement of people, with no passage permitted for humanitarian aid or commercial goods, despite mounting shortages across Gaza.
Humanitarian organizations say Israeli restrictions continue to obstruct critical relief efforts, leaving much of Gaza’s population living amid widespread destruction with limited access to basic services.
“Many people in Gaza are still living in rubble, without essential services, and struggling to survive harsh winter conditions,” International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.
She called on Israel to ease restrictions on so-called “dual-use” items, including water pipes and power generators, which Israel subjects to inspections due to concerns they could be repurposed for military use.
Gaza has been devastated by nearly two years of Israeli military operations, with over 70,000 killed, large areas reduced to ruins and almost the entire population displaced.
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