Rafah crossing reopens for foot traffic after two years amid ongoing violence in Gaza, offering a lifeline for thousands of displaced Palestinians, according to a report
Israel reopened the Rafah crossing from Gaza into Egypt on Sunday in a limited capacity, allowing only pedestrian traffic for the first time in two years, as violence continues across the Gaza Strip.
The reopening comes amid fresh bloodshed in the enclave. Gaza’s civil defense agency reported that dozens of people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Saturday, while the Israel Defense Forces said the attacks were in response to ceasefire violations.
A Palestinian official told Al Jazeera that roughly 80,000 Palestinians who had fled Gaza during the recent conflict are now seeking to return through the Rafah crossing from Egypt.
“The Rafah crossing has reopened for movement of people only,” Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) said Sunday in a statement on X.
“Today, a pilot is underway to test and assess the operation of the crossing. The movement of residents in both directions, entry and exit to and from Gaza, is expected to begin tomorrow,” it said.
In an earlier post on social media COGAT said, “Exit from and entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah Crossing will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission, similar to the mechanism implemented in January 2025.”
Meanwhile, Israel announced it is terminating the operations of Doctors Without Borders in Gaza, citing the group’s alleged failure to submit lists of its Palestinian staff — a requirement Israeli authorities say applies to all aid organisations in the territory.
The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism claimed that two of the charity’s employees had links to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, allegations that Doctors Without Borders has strongly denied. The ministry stated that the organization must halt its activities and exit Gaza by February 28.
The move comes as Israel allows a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, raising international scrutiny over civilian access and humanitarian aid in the besieged enclave.
With inputs from agencies
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