JERUSALEM, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Israel will reopen the Rafah border crossing on Sunday for people to travel between Gaza and Egypt, a government agency said, the first opening of effectively the sole route in or out of the Palestinian territory since May 2024.
The Israeli government agency that coordinates civilian policy in Gaza, COGAT, did not say how many of Gaza’s more than 2 million people would be allowed to cross the border per day.
“The return of residents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip will be permitted, in coordination with Egypt, for residents who left Gaza during the course of the war only, and only after prior security clearance by Israel,” COGAT said.
Israel seized the border crossing in May 2024, about nine months into the Gaza war. Reopening it was an important requirement under the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to stop fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, which followed a ceasefire agreed in October.
Israel had said it would reopen it only after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which took place this week.
Reuters previously reported that Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in. Egypt has not agreed to that.
A source familiar with the matter said the crossing would open despite ongoing discussions between Egypt and Israel over the issue, saying that Israel wants to allow around 150 people to come back per day.
The opening will solely allow the passage of people, even though Gaza remains in need of vital aid that humanitarian organizations say has been stymmied by Israeli restrictions.
“Many people in Gaza are still living in the rubble without basic services, struggling to stay warm amid harsh winter conditions,” International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement on Friday.
She called for an easing of restrictions on “dual use” items like water pipes and generators, “which are essential for restoring the essential infrastructure people rely on.”
Under a policy that long pre-dates the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and ensuing war in Gaza, Israel inspects trucks bound for the Palestinian enclave to stop any items it considers to have potential “dual use” – civilian or military.
Gaza has been devastated by Israel’s two-year offensive, which has left most of the strip in ruins and displaced virtually the entire population.
(Reporting by Steven Scheer, Rami Ayoub and Olivia Le Poidevin, Editing by Maha El Dahan)
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