‘Tool of siege’: Israel’s punishing control of Gaza movement

Since October 2023, Israel's control over Gaza's borders has intensified, restricting Palestinian movement and access to essential resources. The closures, initially presented as temporary security measures, have become a daily reality, impacting access to medical treatment, education, and family reunification. The Rafah crossing with Egypt, once considered an alternative route, has also fallen under Israeli control since May 7, 2024, further limiting aid and evacuations. This control is exerted through permits, road closures, and restrictions on who and what can enter or exit Gaza. These measures have transformed freedom of movement into a tool of control, with significant consequences for the Palestinian population.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Thursday, February 5, 2026, after a two-day closure. The reopening allowed for limited travel in both directions. A group of Palestinian medical evacuees departed from Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, February 1, aiming to receive medical treatment in Egypt. Palestinians have reported delays and mistreatment at the crossing. The Rafah crossing is a vital point of exit and entry for Palestinians in Gaza, particularly for medical patients seeking treatment abroad.

The Rafah border crossing with Egypt has reopened, allowing a small number of Palestinians to enter and leave Gaza. On Monday, five patients and their escorts were allowed to leave for Egypt, while 12 people were permitted to return to Gaza. The reopening was supposed to alleviate the 18-month military siege on Gaza but was marred by tight security restrictions and bureaucratic delays. Israeli authorities imposed strict controls, including requiring only those who left Gaza during the war to be allowed entry. Only a fraction of the promised 50 people were allowed to pass through in each direction. The reopening came after long delays, with many Palestinians waiting anxiously for access to their homes and medical treatment.

Israel has agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which it seized in May 2024, citing the need to prevent weapons smuggling. The reopening will allow a small number of Palestinians to cross on foot in each direction, subject to Israeli-Egyptian security screening. Before the conflict, Rafah was Gaza's only border crossing not controlled by Israel. The move aims to ease access to medical care and allow limited travel, but only 50 people will be permitted to cross each way initially. Thousands of Palestinians are seeking medical evacuation, including many cancer patients and children, as Gaza's healthcare system has been severely damaged by Israeli airstrikes. Thousands of civilians have registered with the World Health Organization for medical evacuation.

After the Rafah border crossing reopened, Palestinian women returning to Gaza reported being bound and interrogated by Israeli troops. The crossing's reopening allowed some Palestinians to return from Egypt. One woman described the journey back to Gaza as "exhausting" and lengthy. Rotana al-Regeb reunited with her children in Khan Younis after being allowed back into Gaza. Twelve Palestinian returnees, including Rotana al-Regeb and her mother, arrived at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis after crossing the border. The Rafah crossing had been long-awaited to reopen.

Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened on Monday following the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire, but its impact is limited. Initially, only 50 Palestinians in each direction are permitted to cross daily, with no goods being transported. Thousands of Palestinians needing medical care hope to exit Gaza through Rafah, while others seek to return. Prior to the conflict, Rafah served as the primary entry and exit point for Gaza residents. Despite the ceasefire, violence continues, with reports of an Israeli navy ship firing on a tent camp, resulting in the death of a child.

In February 2026, Israel partially reopened the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt in a limited trial capacity. COGAT, the Israeli military agency, stated the crossing was being prepared for fuller operation, with Gaza residents expected to begin passing through on Monday. The Rafah crossing has been largely shut since May 2024, when it was seized by Israel during its war on Gaza. The reopening follows a ceasefire agreement and a directive from the political echelon. The Israeli army has completed a screening facility at the crossing. While some Palestinians seek to leave, many of the 80,000 who left during the war are seeking to return.

Israeli strikes in Gaza have killed 18 people, including four children, following a shooting at Israeli soldiers that injured a reservist. The strikes targeted Gaza City and Khan Younis. Palestinian officials report that Israel has halted the evacuation of patients through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, just two days after it reopened for limited crossings. Cogat, the Israeli military agency, claims the crossing remains open but lacks coordination details from the World Health Organization. This disruption occurs amidst a fragile ceasefire established under a US-backed plan, which has been marked by near-daily violence. Since the ceasefire began, Israeli fire has killed at least 530 people, while Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers.

Following a partial reopening, twenty-five Palestinians returned to Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt, reporting difficult journeys and Israeli security measures. Simultaneously, thirteen patients in need of urgent medical care were transferred towards the Rafah crossing for evacuation and treatment abroad, accompanied by family and WHO officials. The returnees, arriving at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, described being interrogated by Israeli forces. The Rafah crossing's restricted reopening allows some movement amidst ongoing Israeli attacks, including one reported fatality in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis. The returnees expressed mixed emotions, happy to be reunited with family but saddened by the widespread destruction in Gaza.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Monday, February 2, 2026, after being closed for nearly a year. This reopening marks progress in the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas following the Gaza war. The crossing, located in southern Gaza, will allow some Gazan refugees to return and expedite medical treatment abroad for the sick and wounded. The reopening was delayed due to disagreements between Israel and Egypt and Israel's demand for the return of hostages taken in the October 7, 2023 attack. The crossing's reopening follows the retrieval of the remains of the last hostage. Despite the reopening, the cease-fire remains fragile, as evidenced by recent Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has partially reopened, allowing a limited number of people to cross. The reopening, which was delayed, is considered a symbolic step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. On Monday, medical evacuees from Gaza were permitted to enter Egypt, and a dozen Palestinian returnees were allowed into Gaza. However, travel in both directions is restricted, and no goods are being transported through the crossing. Uncertainty remains regarding the full reopening and the extent to which it will alleviate the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Israel plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday after a two-year closure. The reopening, stipulated under the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, will allow limited movement of people. The Rafah crossing is a vital entry point for humanitarian supplies needed by displaced people in Gaza. Israel will maintain control over the crossing, coordinating with Egypt and requiring prior security clearance for individuals, supervised by the European Union. The return of Gazan residents from Egypt will be permitted only for those who left during the war, after Israeli security clearance and in coordination with Egypt.

Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, February 1st, for the first time since May 2024. The crossing will allow limited movement of people in both directions, specifically permitting Gazan residents who left during the war to return from Egypt. This will be done in coordination with Egypt and only after Israeli security clearance. In addition to initial screening by the European Union mission at Rafah, travelers will undergo further identification and screening by Israeli defense forces in an area under IDF control. COGAT, the Israeli body overseeing humanitarian efforts in Gaza, made the announcement.

Israel announced it will reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt within days, allowing Palestinians who fled during the two-year war to return. The reopening, a part of the October cease-fire deal, is scheduled after Israel completes its search for the remains of the last captive in Gaza, Ran Gvili. Aid officials hope the reopening will also facilitate the evacuation of over 18,000 Gazans needing medical care abroad. The decision to reopen comes even if the search is unsuccessful, seemingly lowering the previous condition of Hamas returning all deceased Israelis. The Israeli military is currently conducting a focused search in central Gaza for Gvili's body, based on new intelligence.

The United Nations reports that Palestinians in Gaza are in a "desperate" situation due to the prolonged closure of the Rafah crossing by Israel. This closure is exacerbating widespread suffering, particularly impacting children. The report was published on January 28, 2026. Despite an October ceasefire with Hamas, Israeli forces continue attacks, resulting in at least four Palestinian deaths in Gaza City's al-Sanafour area. The UN warns that the aid blocks are hitting children the hardest.

After over two years of war, the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is expected to reopen, offering a potential lifeline for Palestinians needing medical care unavailable in Gaza. Thousands, including Mohammed al-Ser, who requires further treatment for a severe head injury, and Umama al-Astal, a child with a heart condition, are waiting to be evacuated. The crossing, near Rafah city, was previously a vital route for patients seeking treatment abroad before the war decimated Gaza's medical system. While the reopening brings hope, the extent of movement will be limited, and Egypt will share lists of those wishing to cross with Israeli authorities, who will approve or deny passage. The Israeli military acknowledged carrying out a strike in the area where al-Ser was injured, targeting a Hamas operative.

On January 27, 2026, Israel marked the return of Ran Gvili's remains, the final hostage from the Hamas attack over two years prior. This event prompted the removal of yellow ribbons and the shutdown of a symbolic clock in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, signifying the end of a painful chapter. The clock had been tracking the duration of the hostages' captivity since the initial attack. In related news, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for a "limited" reopening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, allowing Palestinian travel in and out of Gaza after nearly two years of closure since Israel seized it in May 2024.

Israeli strikes in Gaza on Saturday killed at least 20 Palestinians, according to hospital officials. The strikes, which occurred in multiple locations including Gaza City and Khan Younis, resulted in casualties including women and children. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that 509 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the October 10 ceasefire. The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains casualty records considered generally reliable. The strikes occurred a day before the Rafah crossing with Egypt was scheduled to open in Rafah.

In January 2026, Israeli forces retrieved the body of Ran Gvili, who died on October 7, 2023, from a Palestinian graveyard in northern Gaza. The operation, hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, resulted in the death of four Palestinians and the desecration of hundreds of graves. Palestinians are now left to recover and rebury the remains of their loved ones. The article states that the desecration of graves violates the Geneva Convention and constitutes collective punishment against Palestinians. It also notes that this is not the first instance of Israel attacking and desecrating Palestinian cemeteries, with at least 16 cemeteries reportedly desecrated since the start of the war, allegedly under the justification that Hamas was using them for military purposes.

In January 2026, the Israeli military conducted a large operation in Gaza to recover the body of Ran Gvili, an Israeli policeman killed over two years prior. The operation involved tanks, drones, and explosives, resulting in the destruction of a neighborhood and the deaths of four Palestinians. While Israel hailed the recovery as a success, the article highlights a disparity in how the dead are treated. Over 10,000 Palestinians remain buried under rubble in Gaza, with limited efforts for recovery or identification. The digging up of the al-Batsh cemetery symbolizes this double standard, where the recovery of one Israeli body receives significant resources while the remains of thousands of Palestinians are largely ignored.