Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopens for limited traffic

Reopening of the link between the Palestinian enclave and Egypt is stipulated under the second phase of the US-brokered ‘ceasefire’.Published On 2 Feb 2026Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing has reopened for limited traffic after almost two years of closure, officials have said.The crossing – linking the Palestinian enclave with Egypt, Gaza’s only border passage that does not lead to Israel – reopened 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.However, the reopening is limited. ⁠Israel and Egypt are expected to impose caps on the number of travellers crossing, and Israel will ensure intensive security checks on Palestinians entering and exiting the Strip.An Israeli security official said 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 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 Israel" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="23342" data-entity-type="organization">The Times of Israel daily.