Egypt wants to have a balanced ratio between Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip and those entering it, to avoid a situation in which many people leave for Egypt but some go in the opposite direction, a Palestinian source told Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
It is estimated that about 20,000 sick and injured Palestinians are waiting to leave Gaza for treatment.
William Christou
The crossing opened just days after Israel launched the deadliest airstrikes on Gaza in months. At least 30 Palestinians, including children and police officers, were killed – some of whom were taking refuge in tent cities for displaced people.
These attacks served as a reminder that the death toll in Gaza is still rising, even as the ceasefire agreement is moving forward.
Much of Gaza has been destroyed and infrastructure remains inoperable as a result of Israeli bombardment over the past two years, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians.
Key things to know about the Rafah Crossing
As we reported in a previous post, a small number of Palestinians are expected to enter through the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt after it reopens to the movement of people. Not humanitarian aid and commercial goods. Here are some key things to know about the crossing:
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Before the war, the Rafah crossing with Egypt was the only direct exit point to the outside world for most Palestinians in Gaza as well as a major entry point for aid. It is largely closed from May 2024.
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Kogat, the Israeli agency in charge of Gaza administration, said the crossing would reopen in both directions to Gaza residents on foot only and that its operation would be coordinated with Egypt and the European Union.
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Israel has said the crossing will open under tight security checks only to Palestinians who want to leave the area and those who want to return after fleeing attacks in the first months of the war. Many of those expected to leave are sick and injured people who need medical care abroad.
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Reopening the border crossing was a key requirement of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza. Local health officials say more than 500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire began.
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On Sunday, Israeli officials said the opening of the crossing had been tested and completed.
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Egyptian authorities will continue to control the crossing on their side of the border. The names of those wishing to return to Gaza will be approved first by Egypt and then by Israel a day earlier.
In a post on X, Francesca AlbaneseThe UN Special Envoy for the Occupied Territories, Israel, has responded to the news of Medecins Sans Frontiers’ ban on Gaza, saying Israel lacks the “authority” to take such a decision in the territory. she wrote:
Israel has no right to prevent anyone from entering the illegally occupied Palestinian territory. Stop normalizing illegal occupation by bowing to its orders. Respect ICJ deliberations: Force Israel to end the occupation. The time for justice is now.
Albanese, a human rights lawyer, has been vocal in calling for an end to the “genocide” waged by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Albanese was slapped with sanctions last year by the US State Department over what it called “shameful propaganda” against the US and Israel in action by the International Criminal Court.
Israel faces genocide charges at the International Court of Justice and war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the attack on Gaza, which has killed at least 71,795 Palestinians since October 2023, according to the latest update from the territory’s health ministry, whose figures are considered credible by the United Nations. The death toll is likely to be higher given the number of people buried under the debris of the bombed buildings.
Despite the evidence, Israel has denied that it is committing genocide, and has said the war was one of self-defense after Hamas-led cross-border attacks on 7 October 2023 killed 1,200 people.
Israel bans MSF from working in Gaza Strip over refusal to provide list of staff
Israel says it will suspend Medecins Sans Frontiers operations in Gaza after the humanitarian organization refused to hand over the personal details of its staff members to Israeli authorities.
In a statement released over the weekend, MSF said:
After several months of unsuccessful negotiations with the Israeli authorities, and in the absence of assurances to ensure the safety of our staff or the independent management of our operations, Médecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has concluded that it will not share the list of its Palestinian and international staff with the Israeli authorities under the current circumstances.
It added that despite repeated efforts, Israel was not able to provide “concrete assurances”, including that “any staff information will be used only for its stated administrative purpose and will not put colleagues at risk; that MSF will retain full authority over all human resources matters and the management of medical humanitarian supplies, and that all communications that defame MSF and undermine the protection of staff will cease.”
Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Anti-Semitism confirmed its decision to halt MSF’s activities, saying it was due to “MSF’s failure to submit a list of local staff, a requirement applied to all humanitarian organizations working in the field.” “In accordance with the regulations, MSF will cease its operations and leave the Gaza Strip by February 28, 2026,” the ministry said.
According to MSF, at least 15 of its staff have been killed by Israeli forces since October 2023. Last year, MSF carried out vital life-saving operations amid shortages in medical supplies due to the Israeli blockade.
In addition to providing 800,000 consultations, MSF assisted at one in three births and filled one in five hospital beds, services “that cannot be easily replaced”, the organization said.
According to Egyptian state media reports, 50 Palestinians are expected to cross the border in each direction
The number of people traveling through the border is expected to be greatly limited, with the restriction that only people traveling on foot can cross the border.
Egyptian state media reported on Monday that in the first days of the reopening, only fifty people are expected to cross the border in each direction between Gaza and Egypt.
Earlier, an Israeli defense official had said that the crossing could hold a total of 150 to 200 people in both directions. More people may be leaving than returning as the patients have left with escorts, the official said. The official said the list of people passing through the crossing was submitted by Egypt and approved by Israel.
Reopening the border crossing was a key requirement of the first phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict. But the ceasefire, which came into effect in October after two years of fighting, has been shaken by repeated episodes of violence.
Local health officials say more than 500 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since the ceasefire began, and Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers, according to Israeli officials.
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preliminary summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the situation in Gaza, where Israel has reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt in a limited capacity. The crossing is largely closed through May 2024.
Kogat, the Israeli agency in charge of Gaza’s administration, said the reopening was being coordinated with Egypt and the European Union.
It added that movement of Palestinians between Egypt and Gaza, which is permitted only on foot, would be permitted “only after prior security clearance by Israel”, with both Israel and Egypt placing limits on the number of travelers crossing the border.
Earlier, Kogat had said it expected “movement of residents in both the entry and exit directions from Gaza”.
Many of those hoping to leave are sick and injured people who need medical care abroad – but the process could be slow.
After initial identification and screening at the crossing by the EU mission, Kogat said, there will be a further screening process at “designated corridors operated by a defense establishment in an area under IDF control.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry has said that about 20,000 patients are waiting to leave Gaza.
The reopening of the Rafah border crossing came as Israel launched some of its deadliest attacks in Gaza over the weekend, killing at least 30 Palestinians, including those seeking refuge in tent cities.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the start of a ceasefire last October, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
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