Israel Reopens Rafah Border Crossing for Limited Pedestrian Traffic
Stockholm, February 1 (Hibya) – Israel partially opened the Rafah border crossing, a vital passage linking Gaza and Egypt, on Sunday after it had been largely closed for over 18 months. The crossing was initially opened for pedestrian traffic, but Israel has not yet clarified how many people will be allowed to pass and whether entry will be granted to those wishing to return to Gaza.
The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which coordinates Palestinian civil affairs under Israel's Ministry of Defense, said, "In accordance with the ceasefire agreement and the directive of the political echelon, the Rafah Border Crossing today was opened only for the limited passage of local residents."
"As part of this, the European Union Border Assistance Mission [EUBAM], in coordination with Egypt and all relevant stakeholders, initiated a pilot phase today."
"Once the preparations are completed, the passage of residents will begin in both directions," it added.
The reopening comes amid ongoing violence in Palestinian territories; Gaza's Civil Defense reported on Saturday that dozens had been killed in Israeli attacks, while the Israeli military said it had retaliated against ceasefire violations.
The Rafah border crossing is a vital crossing for both civilians and humanitarian aid, but since Israeli forces took control of it during the war with Hamas in May 2024, it has remained closed, except for a brief and limited reopening in early 2025.
Israel had previously stated that it would not reopen the crossing until the body of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, was returned.
His body was found a few days ago and was buried in Israel on Wednesday.
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