The reopening of Rafah, the only border between Gaza and the outside world that bypasses Israel and has been closed since the spring of 2024, has been strongly called for by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to allow humanitarian aid access to the Palestinian territory devastated by two years of war.
This Sunday, Israel partially reopened the Rafah border, between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, vital for humanitarian aid and for advancing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
However, for now, passage through the border post will have many limitations and access will be limited to residents of the territory and under strict conditions.
The reopening of Rafah, the only border between Gaza and the outside world that bypasses Israel and has been closed since the spring of 2024, has been strongly called for by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations to allow humanitarian aid access to the Palestinian territory devastated by two years of war.
200 patients were waiting for opening
Israel announced the reopening of the border crossing “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement”, but limited to “crossing residents” of the Gaza Strip.
According to an official from the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas, “approximately 200 patients” were waiting for the border to reopen so they could travel to Egypt in search of treatment.
Around 40 Palestinian Authority officials were also waiting from Egypt for the Israeli green light, a Palestinian official told France Presse.
The day at the border will be dedicated mainly to preparations and logistical issues until a more complete reopening on Monday.
“With each passing day, my condition worsens”
In the devastated Gaza Strip, many Palestinians hope to finally be able to leave. Around 20,000 Palestinian children and adults in need of medical care hope to leave Gaza through this crossing and thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to return home.
“With each passing day, my condition is getting worse and my life is fading away,” laments Mohammed Shamiya, a 33-year-old man who suffers from kidney disease and requires dialysis.
The reopening of the border should also allow the entry into Gaza of the 15 members of the National Commission for the Administration of Gaza, responsible for managing the territory during a transition period under the supervision of the ‘Peace Council’ chaired by Donald Trump.
Rafah has been closed since Israeli forces took control of it in May 2024, with the exception of a limited reopening in early 2025 as part of a previous truce that was not followed up.
The complete reopening is part of United States President Donald Trump’s plan to definitively end the war that began on October 7, 2023, with the Hamas attack against Israel.
Israel had warned that Rafah would not be reopened until the body of Ran Gvili, the last hostage held in Gaza since the start of the conflict, was returned. His body was finally returned on January 26th.
This very limited reopening comes in the middle of an extremely fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
On Saturday, Israeli air strikes killed 32 people, according to the Gaza Civil Defense, in one of the bloodiest days since the beginning of the truce, on October 10, 2025. Israel claimed to be responding to violations of the ceasefire.
