According to Al Jazeera’s live coverage, Israel has reopened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt for limited movement after nearly two years of closure, allowing a controlled number of wounded and sick Palestinians to leave the besieged territory for medical treatment abroad. The crossing is operating under tight Israeli restrictions, with a small daily quota of patients permitted to exit and a similarly limited number of people allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt. Al Jazeera reports that thousands of Palestinians with severe injuries and chronic illnesses have been waiting for such an opening, after months in which many were unable to access advanced care unavailable in Gaza’s devastated health system.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Rafah crossing opened in both directions for patients and other humanitarian cases, with an initial group of 150 patients and companions prepared from early morning hours to travel for treatment outside the Gaza Strip. WAFA’s correspondent in Rafah said the Palestinian side of the crossing is prioritizing patients, the wounded and passport holders, reflecting the scale of humanitarian need that has built up during the prolonged closure. The Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency reports that about 50 Palestinians are expected to enter Gaza and 150 patients and their companions to leave for care in Egypt under the current arrangements, citing Israeli media and Gaza health officials.
International outlets describe the reopening as a limited but symbolically important step in the wider ceasefire process. The New York Times reports that the Rafah crossing’s resumption of traffic marks another step in a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, even as sporadic violence and airstrikes in Gaza continue to underline the ceasefire’s precariousness. Reuters similarly notes that Israel has reopened the border with Egypt for a limited number of people on foot, enabling a small group of Palestinians to leave Gaza while broader restrictions and security controls remain in place.
Context and Reactions: How Are Palestinians and Officials Responding?
Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, has described the reopening as an “uncomfortable dynamic,” saying that many Palestinians are desperate to leave for treatment or study but fear they may not be allowed to return under current policies. According to Al Jazeera, Palestinian officials estimate that around 22,000 wounded and sick people are in “dire need” of leaving Gaza for treatment abroad, highlighting that the current daily quotas fall far short of the existing medical backlog. Gaza health authorities cited by Anadolu Agency estimate that roughly 22,000 patients are waiting for the crossing to fully reopen, and say more than 1,200 patients have died while waiting since Rafah was shut.
Al Jazeera’s reporting also notes that approximately 80,000 Palestinians who fled Gaza earlier in the conflict are seeking to return, many of them stranded abroad and unsure when or whether they will be allowed back under the new regime. According to Al Jazeera and regional media cited in its coverage, senior Israeli officials have signaled they prefer more people leaving Gaza than returning, reinforcing concerns among displaced Palestinians that temporary medical or educational departures could become permanent. An Egyptian official quoted by the Associated Press and relayed by Al Jazeera said that on the first day of renewed operations, 50 Palestinians would be permitted to cross in each direction, underscoring the cautious, trial nature of the reopening.
Reuters reports that foreign journalists remain excluded from entering Gaza, meaning much of the detailed information about conditions at Rafah and inside the Strip continues to come from local reporters, aid groups and officials on the ground. The New York Times notes that, alongside the crossing’s reopening, Israeli airstrikes in recent days have killed dozens of Palestinians, including children, underlining that the humanitarian corridor is opening amid ongoing insecurity rather than a comprehensive end to hostilities.
Supporting Details: How Is the Crossing Operating and Who Controls It?
According to Al Jazeera and other regional media, the Rafah crossing was destroyed by Israeli strikes in 2024 and has been effectively closed to regular traffic for nearly two years, leaving Gaza’s population cut off from Egypt except for very limited, ad hoc evacuations. Al Jazeera’s English-language broadcast coverage states that Israel will pre-approve all Palestinian passengers, with the European Union to monitor the Palestinian side and the Palestinian Authority tasked with issuing exit stamps, while Israel retains remote oversight. The Times of Israel, as cited by Al Jazeera, reports that the Israeli military has set up a new checkpoint called “Regavim” in a military-controlled area near Rafah, where soldiers verify the identities of Palestinians against lists cleared by Israeli intelligence and conduct comprehensive searches of their belongings.
Anadolu Agency reports that the Palestinian side of Rafah began operating on a trial basis a day earlier, after more than 18 months of full closure due to Israeli restrictions. The agency, citing Gaza health officials, notes that there is a large backlog of patients requiring urgent treatment abroad, and that many of those allowed to leave are accompanied by at least one relative or caregiver. The New York Times adds that, during the first nine months of Israel’s military offensive after the October 2023 Hamas attacks, approximately 100,000 people fled Gaza via Rafah, through a combination of aid-facilitated evacuations and private arrangements.
Al Jazeera’s reporting emphasizes that long lines of ambulances have formed on the Egyptian side, waiting to enter Gaza and transport the first batches of approved patients out through Rafah. The outlet notes that many of those leaving have suffered complex injuries that Gaza’s overstretched hospitals cannot adequately treat after months of bombardment, shortages of medical supplies and damage to health facilities.
Implications and Future Developments: What Could Happen Next?
According to Al Jazeera and other outlets, the limited reopening of Rafah offers a vital lifeline for thousands of wounded and ill Palestinians, but current capacity falls far short of estimated needs, leaving tens of thousands still waiting for a chance to leave. Humanitarian officials and medical workers cited in regional reporting warn that, without a substantial expansion of daily quotas and more predictable, long-term arrangements, many patients may not receive treatment in time, especially those with advanced cancers, severe trauma or chronic conditions.
The New York Times reports that the reopening is tied to the broader ceasefire framework between Israel and Hamas, and that any breakdown in the truce or escalation of violence around Rafah could quickly disrupt or halt crossings again. Reuters notes that Israel’s decision to allow only a limited number of people on foot, under strict screening, reflects security concerns that could shape how and whether the opening is widened in the coming weeks.
Regional reporting summarized by Al Jazeera indicates that Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Authority and international actors, including the European Union, are involved in managing or monitoring various aspects of the Rafah arrangement, suggesting that diplomatic negotiations will play a key role in determining the crossing’s future. Aid organizations quoted in these reports stress that, beyond evacuations, Gaza’s population still needs a significant increase in humanitarian aid flows and reconstruction support, matters that remain under negotiation and are closely tied to the durability of the ceasefire.
The reopening of Rafah has allowed the first groups of wounded and sick Palestinians in months to leave Gaza for urgent treatment, offering some relief to families who have waited through repeated delays and closures. Yet, as documented by Al Jazeera, WAFA, Reuters, Anadolu Agency and other outlets, the crossing is operating under tight limits, with thousands more still in need and the arrangement heavily dependent on a fragile ceasefire and complex political understandings among the parties involved.
