The Rafah land border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt reopened on Monday after being closed during the recent Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The move marks a long-awaited shift that allows at least limited movement of people in and out of Gaza.
Before the outbreak of the war, Rafah was one of the main border crossings in Gaza, especially for residents who wanted to leave the enclave. The crossing was then administered by the Egyptian authorities and was not under Israeli control.
According to a UN report published in September 2023, shortly before the war began, Palestinians were forbidden to leave Gaza through Israel unless they obtained an Israeli exit permit. Only certain groups of people could apply for these permits, mainly day laborers, merchants, patients and their escorts, or aid workers.
In August 2023, Egyptian authorities allowed a total of 19,608 people to leave Gaza. In the same month, 12,076 trucks carrying approved goods arrived in Gaza through both Israeli- and Egyptian-controlled crossings, with 37 per cent of the cargo entering Gaza through the Egyptian border.
During the war, the Israeli army announced in early May 2024 the launch of a „precision counter-terrorism operation“ in the town of Rafah and the assumption of „operational control“ of the crossing. Since then, the crossing has been out of service.
It is estimated that between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinians crossed from Gaza into Egypt during the war. Xinhua news agency reporters met some of them on the outskirts of Cairo, where Gazans have reopened restaurants and shops they used to run in their homeland.
Following a ceasefire concluded in January 2025, the Rafah crossing was briefly opened for patient transfers. However, it was closed again after the ceasefire collapsed and fighting resumed in March.
As part of a new peace agreement reached in October 2025, and following the discovery and return of the remains of the last Israeli hostage to Israel in January this year, the crossing was reopened, albeit for limited foot traffic.
According to a Palestinian political analyst Akram Atallah the reopening of the crossing means the return of life to the Gaza Strip, or at least the signal of a gradual return to normal functioning, albeit under limited conditions. He added that the move could herald the restoration of infrastructure, the resettlement of residents inside Gaza and the return of people who have remained trapped abroad for more than two years.
A UN report released at the end of January said more than 18,500 patients, including 4,000 children, are still waiting for medical evacuation outside Gaza to receive treatment that is not available in the enclave.
Reziq Shomar from Gaza City, said the crossing had been „the backbone of life for Gazans from the beginning, especially for the wounded and sick“. He himself is among the injured and hopes that the crossing will remain open so that he can receive treatment. He also stressed the need to import medical equipment and to be able to travel for medical care. „This crossing is our lifeline,“ He added.
Also Om Ibrahim from Gaza City expects the reopening of the crossing to allow for a family reunion. Her husband and children are outside the Palestinian territories. „I'm waiting for the crossing to open like a mercy killing. Everything would change completely, everyone is waiting to meet their families,“ she said. She herself hopes to be able to travel to see her husband, while other people are waiting for their loved ones to return.
Analysts see the reopening of the Rafah crossing as a positive step that could alleviate the suffering of Gazans. At the same time, they warn that the ceasefire remains fragile and the region still faces significant challenges.
Xinhua/gnews.cz - GH
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