Israel reopened the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Monday, but only for a small number of people travelling on foot. This step allows a limited group of Palestinians to leave Gaza and lets some who had fled earlier in the war return for the first time.
The crossing lies in Israeli-controlled territory where a city of around 250,000 people once stood before it was destroyed and emptied during the war. It is the main route in and out for Gaza’s population of more than 2 million. The crossing has been mostly closed during the conflict. Its reopening is one of the last steps required under the first phase of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed in October.
A Palestinian source said around 50 people were expected to enter Gaza on the first day, and a similar number would be allowed to leave. Those returning are among more than 100,000 Palestinians who escaped Gaza in the early months of the war. By mid-morning, it was still unclear how many had crossed. An Israeli security official confirmed Rafah had opened “for both entry and exit”.
Background of the Israel Gaza Ceasefire Plan
Israel took control of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, about nine months after the Gaza war began. The fighting paused under a fragile ceasefire arranged in October by U.S. President Donald Trump. Reopening Rafah was part of the first phase of his broader plan to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In January, Trump announced the start of a second phase, which is meant to focus on Gaza’s future governance and rebuilding.
Violence Continues Despite Reopening
Even as the crossing reopened, Israeli strikes killed at least four Palestinians on Monday, including a three-year-old boy, in separate incidents in northern and southern Gaza. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Strict Israeli Security Measures
In the first nine months of the war, about 100,000 Palestinians exited into Egypt through Rafah. Some were helped by aid groups, while others reportedly paid bribes. After Israeli forces entered the area, the crossing was closed, except for a short period in early 2025 when medical patients were evacuated during a ceasefire.
The closure blocked an important route for sick and injured Palestinians to get treatment abroad. Only a few thousand left through Israel for medical care in other countries over the past year.
Now, Palestinians using Rafah must receive Israeli security approval, according to Egyptian sources. The crossing area has reinforced concrete walls topped with barbed wire. Travellers must walk 2.5 km through the Israeli-controlled border zone known as the Philadelphi corridor. They pass through three gates, including one run by the Palestinian Authority under European Union supervision but remotely controlled by Israel.
Who Gets Access?
Although Rafah has reopened, Israel still does not allow foreign journalists into Gaza. Since the war began, international media have relied on local reporters, many of whom have been killed.
Israel’s Supreme Court is reviewing a petition from the Foreign Press Association demanding access for foreign journalists. Government lawyers argue this could risk the safety of Israeli soldiers. The FPA says the public is being denied independent information.
Current Situation in Gaza
Under the first phase of the ceasefire, large-scale fighting stopped, hostages in Gaza were exchanged for thousands of Palestinian prisoners, and more humanitarian aid was promised. However, Israeli forces still control over 53% of Gaza. Many buildings have been destroyed, and most residents now live in tents or damaged homes along the coast.
The next phase of Trump’s plan suggests Hamas should give up its weapons and hand control to an internationally supported administration that would oversee reconstruction, including luxury housing along the Mediterranean coast. Many Israelis and Palestinians doubt this plan will work. Hamas has not agreed to disarm, and Israel says it may restart the war to force disarmament.
Israel Hamas War Background and Casualties
The war began in October 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s response has killed over 70,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
Since the October ceasefire, Gaza health officials say Israeli attacks have killed more than 500 Palestinians, while militants have killed four Israeli soldiers. On Saturday, Israel launched some of its heaviest airstrikes since the truce, killing at least 30 people. Israel said it acted after Hamas violated the ceasefire during clashes in Rafah.
