Israel reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on foot only, allowing Palestinians to leave the enclave and enabling some to return after fleeing the war, authorities said. The movement will be limited and subject to Israeli security checks for those entering and exiting, with Israel and Egypt expected to cap the number of travelers.
An Israeli security official said European monitoring teams have arrived at Rafah, which “has now opened to the movement of residents, for both entry and exit.” Israel seized the crossing in May 2024, about nine months into the Gaza war that was brought to a tenuous halt by an October ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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The partial reopening marks the first structured pathway in months for civilians to cross Gaza’s sealed southern boundary. During the war’s first nine months, many Palestinians fled to Egypt through Rafah. Palestinian officials estimate roughly 100,000 people left Gaza in that period, some with the help of aid groups and others through payments inside Egypt to obtain permission to depart.
Israel’s closure of Rafah after its forces entered the area, and its shutdown of the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt, choked off a crucial route for evacuations and medical transfers. A few thousand Palestinians have been allowed to travel for treatment in third countries via Israel over the past year, the United Nations says, but thousands more remain in need of care abroad.
Even as Rafah reopens in limited fashion, Israel continues to bar foreign journalists from entering Gaza. Reporters have been kept out since the start of the war, which has devastated the enclave and laid waste to entire neighborhoods. About two million Palestinians are living in makeshift tents and damaged homes amid the ruins of their cities.
Israel’s Supreme Court is weighing a petition by the Foreign Press Association demanding access for international media from Israel into Gaza. Government lawyers argue that admitting journalists could endanger Israeli troops and pose risks to reporters. The FPA disputes that claim, warning that the public is being denied critical independent reporting and noting that aid workers and U.N. personnel have been able to enter since the war began.
The Rafah move unfolds alongside the second phase of Mr. Trump’s Gaza plan, which envisions governance shifting to Palestinian technocrats, Hamas relinquishing its weapons and Israeli forces withdrawing while reconstruction begins. Israeli officials have cast doubt on the prospect of Hamas disarming, and some say the military is preparing for a possible return to war.
Despite the October deal, violence has persisted. Since the agreement was struck, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 500 Palestinians, according to health officials, while militants have killed four Israeli soldiers. On Saturday, Israel carried out some of its most intense airstrikes since the ceasefire, killing at least 30 people, saying the strikes were in response to a Hamas violation of the truce a day earlier.
It was not immediately clear how many people would be able to traverse Rafah under the new rules or how quickly movement would occur given security screening requirements. The measured reopening offers a narrow relief valve for civilians but leaves most wartime restrictions in place, including the ongoing closure to international press and the broader uncertainty over Gaza’s political and security future.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
