What to Know About the Rafah Border Crossing in Gaza

The only crossing that connects Gaza with Egypt is reopening after nearly a year of closures. This will allow residents to leave for medical care or return to homes and families in the territory.The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in 2023.Credit...Samar Abu Elouf for The New York TimesFeb. 1, 2026, 7:16 a.m. ETThe only border crossing that connects Gaza with Egypt prepared to open on Sunday for the first time in almost a year, a step that will throw a lifeline to Palestinians who want to leave for medical care or return to homes and families after two years of war.Israeli officials said the crossing, near the southern city of Rafah, had opened to check systems in preparation for the passage of Gaza residents in both directions. It was expected to be fully operational by Monday, the officials said.The Rafah passage was seized by Israeli soldiers in May 2024 and has been mostly closed since then, other than for a brief time during a temporary cease-fire last winter.A long-term cease-fire that went into effect in October called for the crossing to open. But Israel had delayed it until the repatriation of the remains of the last hostage taken to Gaza in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that triggered the war. That happened on Monday.Underscoring the fragility of the cease-fire, the Israeli military launched a series of deadly airstrikes on Gaza on Saturday, killing at least 26 people, including several children, according to local health officials.The Israeli military said in a statement that the airstrikes had targeted commanders and fighters from Hamas and another militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as weapons facilities. It said the strikes were a response to activity the day before, when it said militants had emerged from a tunnel in Rafah, in an Israeli-controlled area of the enclave.Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeatedly violating the cease-fire agreement.Who Will Be Allowed to Cross?The border will, at least initially, be open only to individuals entering and exiting Gaza. It will not be used to bring in much-needed supplies to the territory ravaged by two years of war.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said last week that he had agreed to “a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing for pedestrian passage only.” On Tuesday, he said there would be restrictions on the number of people entering, suggesting about “50-plus” would be allowed to come from Egypt daily.More people are expected to be allowed to leave than to enter, for the time being, though the number of daily departures will also be limited.Israel’s right-wing government has made no secret of its desire to see as many Gazans as possible leave and not return.“We are not going to prevent anyone from leaving,” Mr. Netanyahu said.Who Will Control the Border?The Egyptian authorities will continue to control the crossing on their side of the border. The names of those seeking to return to Gaza will first be approved by Egypt, and then by Israel 24 hours in advance.Israeli security personnel will not be present at the crossing itself, but will operate a security checkpoint in another area of Gaza, where entrants will undergo physical screening and identification checks.For Palestinians seeking to leave Gaza, the process will be handled by a mix of authorities. European Union officials, who monitored the crossing when it briefly reopened during the cease-fire last winter will do so again, along with Palestinian officials.Palestinians will need authorization to travel abroad. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, would provide the necessary travel permits, Mr. Netanyahu said.How Many Need Medical Evacuation?The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Tuesday that 20,000 people were waiting to travel abroad for treatment. The closure of the crossing “worsens their health conditions to a dangerous extent and threatens their lives,” the ministry said in a statement.Roughly 18,500 patients, including 4,000 children, are waiting for medical evacuation, according to the United Nations. Patients are usually accompanied by at least one relative or caregiver.The World Health Organization and partners facilitated about 7,600 medical evacuations during the war, including nearly 2,700 since the closing of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, it said.ImageAmbulances at the border crossing on Sunday in Rafah, Egypt.Credit...Ali Mustafa/Getty ImagesOla Abu al-Naser, 30, of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, is among those waiting for the reopening of the crossing. She plans to accompany her mother-in-law, who is seeking surgery abroad for injuries sustained after being buried under rubble in a strike in 2024.“I spend all my time following the news of the crossing,” she said.At least 100,000 Palestinians have left Gaza since the beginning of the war, according to Palestinian officials. Their passage was facilitated by aid and humanitarian groups in many cases, while others paid stiff fees to a well-connected Egyptian company, an option that was not available to most of the population of about two million.What Are Aid Organizations Saying?Humanitarian groups have expressed optimism about the reopening of the crossing, but have also called to allow aid and supplies to enter and to lift all restrictions on Palestinians’ passage.Stéphane Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, said on Monday that the agency was prepared to send a surge of aid through the Rafah crossing.“We would want to see humanitarian cargo and private cargo go in,” he said. “And, of course, in terms of movements of people through the Rafah crossing, Palestinians need to be able to come out or go in, as they wish, in line with international law.”On Monday, Save the Children, an international charity, said there were also students waiting to take up scholarships and families longing for reunification, as well as a dire need for more supplies in Gaza.“What is needed now is the immediate and urgent opening of Rafah and all border crossings and the safe, unrestricted passage of humanitarian assistance,” the group said.Reporting was contributed by Abu Bakr Bashir, Natan Odenheimer Johnatan Reiss and Isabel Kershner.Ephrat Livni is a Times reporter covering breaking news around the world. She is based in Washington.SKIP