Gaza border crossing buzzes with activity after years of near-complete closure : NPR
Ambulances queue to pass through the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing en route to the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Mohammed Arafat/AP
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Mohammed Arafat/AP
CAIRO — The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt was busy Sunday, as Israel said limited travel to and from the territory should resume after years of near-complete isolation. The reopening of the border crossing is a key step as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas advances.
Israel announced on Sunday that the crossing had been opened on a test basis. COGAT, the Israeli military agency that controls aid to Gaza, said in a statement that the crossing was being actively prepared for a more comprehensive operation, adding that Gaza residents would begin passing through the crossing once preparations were complete.
Palestinian security officers passed through the terminal’s Egyptian gate and headed toward the Palestinian gate to join an EU mission that will supervise entries and exits, said an Egyptian official, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Ambulances also passed through the Egyptian Gate, the official added.
The head of the new Palestinian administrative committee governing daily affairs in Gaza said two-way travel would begin on Monday.
Trucks carrying humanitarian aid queue to pass through the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing, heading for inspection by Israeli authorities before entering the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Mohammed Arafat/AP
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Mohammed Arafat/AP
Rafah, which Palestinians consider their gateway to the world, has been largely closed since its seizure by Israel in May 2024.
Initially, few people will be allowed in and no goods will be allowed to cross. About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults in need of medical care hope to leave war-devastated Gaza through the crossing, and thousands more Palestinians outside the territory hope to return home.
Zaher al-Wahidi, head of the Health Ministry’s documentation department in Gaza, told The Associated Press that the ministry has not yet been informed about the start of medical evacuations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would allow 50 patients to leave per day. An official involved in the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic negotiations, said each patient would be allowed to travel with two relatives, while around 50 people who left Gaza during the war would be allowed to return each day.
Israel has declared this and Egypt will control the entry and exit of people through the crossing, which will be supervised by European Union border patrol officers. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful.
Israeli troops seized and closed the Rafah crossing in May 2024, saying it was part of efforts to combat Hamas arms smuggling. The crossing was briefly opened for the evacuation of patients during a ceasefire in early 2025. Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza last week paved the way for a breakthrough.
The reopening is a key step as the ceasefire agreement brokered last year by the United States, which took effect on October 10, enters its second phase.
Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing point for people entering and leaving Gaza. Although Gaza has four other border crossings, they are shared with Israel. Under the terms of the ceasefire, the Israeli army controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the area where most Palestinians live.
Fearing that Israel could use the crossing to push Palestinians out of the enclave, Egypt has repeatedly said it must be open for both entry and exit from Gaza. Historically, Israel and Egypt have considered Palestinian requests for passage.
The current ceasefire ended more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas that began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The first phase of the truce called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel, an increase in much-needed humanitarian aid, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.
The second phase is more complicated. It calls for the installation of a new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and taking steps to begin reconstruction.
