Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopens : NPR
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
CAIRO — The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened Monday for limited traffic, a key step as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas advances, according to Egyptian and Israeli security officials.
An Egyptian official said 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction on the first day the crossing was open. The official, involved in talks related to the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
Egyptian state media and an Israeli security official also confirmed the reopening, which, for now at least, is largely symbolic. Few people will be allowed to travel in either direction, and no goods will be allowed to enter.
Around 20,000 Palestinian children and adults in need of medical care hope to leave devastated Gaza via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also 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.
The Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement on Monday that 150 hospitals across the country were ready to receive Palestinian patients and wounded who will be evacuated from Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
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 agents with a small Palestinian presence. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time, if the system is successful.
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
Israeli troops seized the Rafah crossing in May 2024, calling it part of efforts to combat arms smuggling for the militant group Hamas. 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 negotiated last year by the United States and 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. The territory’s few other crossing points are all 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 to them to enter and exit 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 the 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 of the ceasefire agreement is more complicated. It calls for the installation of the new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and the taking of measures to begin reconstruction.
