Israel announced this Friday, 30, that it will reopen this weekend the Rafah crossing, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, in both directions, marking an important step forward for US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan in Gaza.
COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for coordinating aid to Gaza, said in a statement that, starting Sunday, “limited movement of people” will be allowed through the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world.
The announcement came after statements by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Ali Shaath, recently appointed to head the Palestinian administrative committee that governs Gaza’s daily affairs, that the crossing would likely be opened soon.
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COGAT stated that both Israel and Egypt will check individuals entering and leaving through the crossing and supervision will be carried out by European Union border patrol agents. In addition to checks at the crossing, Palestinians leaving and returning will be checked by Israel in the adjacent corridor, which remains under Israeli military control.
The crossing has been practically closed since Israel seized it in May 2024, claiming that the measure was part of a strategy to prevent weapons smuggling by the terrorist group Hamas. It was briefly opened for patient evacuation during a short ceasefire in early 2025.
At first, Israel resisted the reopening of the crossing, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza last Monday, the 26th, opened the way for the advance. A day later, Netanyahu stated that the crossing would soon reopen, in a limited and controlled manner.
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For the prime minister, Israel’s focus is to disarm Hamas and destroy the remaining tunnels. Without these measures, he said, there will be no reconstruction in Gaza, a position that could make Israel’s control over Rafah a crucial negotiating point.
Refugees
Thousands of Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip are trying to leave the war-torn territory, while tens of thousands who fled the territory during the heaviest fighting want to return home.
An Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with current policy, told Associated Press that dozens of Palestinians would initially be allowed to pass through each of the routes, starting with those evacuated for medical reasons and Palestinians who fled during the war.
Gaza’s healthcare system has been devastated by war, making advanced surgical procedures inaccessible. Around 20,000 sick and injured Palestinians need treatment outside Gaza, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health. In the past, those given priority for evacuation were mainly children, cancer patients and people with physical trauma.
The reopening is one of the first steps in the second phase of last year’s US-brokered ceasefire agreement, which includes complex issues ranging from the demilitarization of Gaza to the formation of an alternative government to oversee the reconstruction of the largely destroyed enclave.
*With information from Associated Press.
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