Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopens for limited traffic

DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

The reopening of the link between the enclave and Egypt is stipulated under the second phase of the US-brokered ‘ceasefire’.

Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing has reopened for limited traffic after two years or so of closure, officials have said.

The crossing, which links the Palestinian enclave with Egypt, is Gaza’s only border passage that does not lead to Israel. Its reopening, around two years after closing, came on Monday.

A vital entry point for humanitarian supplies and passage for people awaiting medical evacuation, the crossing’s reopening is stipulated under the United States brokered “ceasefire” that halted the war between Israel and Hamas in October.

The reopening will be limited. ⁠Israel and Egypt are expected to impose caps on the number of travellers crossing and Israel will demand intensive security checks on Palestinians entering and exiting the Strip.

An Israeli security official said that European monitoring teams have arrived at the crossing, according to the Reuters news agency.

The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) will administer the Palestinian side of the crossing, submitting a list of names of people wishing to leave Gaza along with their final destination to the Egyptian side for security vetting.

Similarly, the Egyptians will submit a list of names of Palestinians wishing to enter who will be given permission the following day after security screening, according to Israeli news reports.

An Egyptian official said that 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction on the first day of the crossing’s operation, according to The Associated Press news agency.

The Israeli army has set up a checkpoint called “Regavim” in an area under military control outside the Rafah crossing for Palestinians entering Gaza from Egypt, according to the Times of Israel.

Soldiers posted at “Regavim” will check identities of those arriving against lists approved by Israeli intelligence agencies and will conduct a thorough search of their belongings.

Desperate need

The seizure of the Rafah crossing by Israel in May 2024, about nine months into its war on Gaza, also cut off an important route for wounded and sick Palestinians to seek medical care outside Gaza.

A few thousand have been allowed out to seek medical treatment in third countries via Israel over the past year, though thousands more are in need of care abroad, according to the United Nations.

Reporting from Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said more than 20,000 Palestinians are in desperate need of immediate treatment abroad.

After Isreal announced last week that it would finally reopen the crossing, a line of ambulances formed on the Egyptian side of the border, awaiting entry to evacuate people.

Palestinian officials say about 100,000 Palestinians have fled Gaza since the war began, most of them during the first nine months.