Israeli authorities opened the Rafah crossing today, Sunday, in a limited manner for the passage of Gaza Strip residents only, according to what was announced by the Unit for Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, based on the ceasefire agreement and the directives of the political leadership.
The unit clarified in an official statement that the opening of the crossing is limited to the passage of individuals without allowing the entry of aid, and with strict control procedures, after months of near-total closure that exacerbated the humanitarian situation inside the besieged Strip. In the same context, Palestinian media reported the arrival of buses carrying Palestinian employees to the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, in preparation for their entry to the Palestinian side and the resumption of work inside it, in an indication of a partial return of administrative activity at the crossing. This development comes amid the continuation of Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement in effect since October 10, where airstrikes carried out on Saturday resulted in the killing of 32 Palestinians, including women and children, according to what the civil defense in Gaza confirmed. The Rafah crossing is the only land outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world without passing through Israel, but it has remained closed since the Israeli forces took control of it in May 2024, with the exception of partial and limited opening periods at the beginning of 2025. In a separate field development, Palestinian sources announced the killing of a citizen and the injury of others as a result of an Israeli drone bombing north of Wadi Gaza, bringing the number of victims who arrived at the Strip's hospitals since Saturday dawn to 32 dead, distributed between the north and south of the Strip. Despite the limited opening of the crossing, international organizations believe that the move is insufficient, demanding the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, which stipulates the reopening of the Rafah crossing without restrictions, to allow the entry of humanitarian aid in light of an unprecedented disaster experienced by more than two million Palestinians inside the Strip. It is expected that this measure will contribute to facilitating the entry of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, composed of Palestinian technocratic figures, to oversee the conduct of daily affairs, pending the activation of broader arrangements related to the management of the next phase.
