Rafah Crossing Between Gaza, Egypt Partially Reopened by Israel

Israel on Sunday (local time) reopened the Rafah border crossing with Egypt in a limited, pilot phase, the first such move since Israeli forces seized the crossing in May last year. The reopening allows restricted movement of Gaza residents, according to Israeli authorities.

The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military body that oversees aid operations in Gaza, said the crossing has been activated on a trial basis and that further expansion is being prepared. Movement of residents through Rafah is expected to begin from Monday, Al Jazeera reported.

COGAT stated that the reopening follows the ongoing ceasefire arrangement and directives from the political leadership. The Israeli military also announced the completion of a dedicated screening facility designed to process Palestinians entering and leaving Gaza via Rafah.

The crossing had largely remained closed for months due to Israel’s extended military campaign in the enclave.

Gaza’s Government Media Office said thousands of displaced Palestinians are waiting for a chance to return. Ismail al-Thawabta, head of the media office, was quoted as saying that nearly 80,000 Palestinians who left Gaza amid the conflict are seeking re-entry.

MSF Operations Halted

Meanwhile, Israel has moved to halt the operations of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in Gaza, citing the organisation’s failure to provide required details of its Palestinian employees. Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism said all humanitarian groups operating in the region must comply with the same disclosure requirements.

In December, Israeli authorities had notified 37 aid organisations, including MSF, that they would be barred from Gaza operations from March 1 for not submitting staff information — a decision criticised by humanitarian agencies and the United Nations.

Despite the partial border reopening, Israeli military actions continued across Gaza. A drone strike on Sunday killed one person in northwest Rafah, according to medical staff at the Nasser Medical Complex. Palestinian media identified the victim as 63-year-old Khaled Hammad Ahmed Dahleez. Another drone attack in central Gaza’s Wadi Gaza area resulted in one additional fatality.

These incidents followed a series of Israeli air raids on Saturday that reportedly left at least 31 Palestinians dead in both northern and southern parts of Gaza.

Since the US-backed ceasefire took effect on October 10, at least 511 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,400 injured, according to Palestinian authorities.

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