Following a day of trial operations, the Rafah border crossing began moving toward regular activity on Monday, with the first group of Gaza residents returning from Egypt as part of Phase II of the post-war arrangement. Footage of the returning Palestinians was circulated by Egyptian media.
Under the framework agreed upon by the involved parties, approximately 150 Gazans are expected to exit to Egypt daily via Rafah, while 50 will return in the opposite direction. The crossing had remained largely closed throughout the war.
arrival of the first group of Gazans returning through the Rafah crossing
Sources involved in preparations for reopening the crossing told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the names of hundreds of patients in urgent need of medical treatment were submitted to the World Health Organization, which is coordinating with Arab and international health authorities to facilitate their exit to Egypt.
However, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced that, for now, the transfer of patients and the wounded will take place through the Kerem Shalom crossing, not Rafah. “There is currently no update regarding patient exits through Rafah,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Al-Araby channel reported that around 150 injured Palestinians were transferred from the Red Crescent hospital in Gaza via Kerem Shalom, which allows transit to both Israel and Egypt.
Last week, the IDF announced that exit and re-entry of Gaza residents would now be permitted through coordination with Egypt, pending prior Israeli security clearance and under the supervision of a European Union mission, resembling the mechanism used in January 2025 during the second hostage release ceasefire.
It was also clarified that reentry from Egypt will be limited to those who originally left Gaza during the war. In addition to initial identification and screening at Rafah by the EU mission, a secondary check will take place at a facility operated by Israel’s security apparatus in a zone under IDF control.
This Israeli oversight will be conducted remotely using surveillance systems, without the physical presence of IDF soldiers. The refurbished terminal will be managed by Palestinian staff and representatives from the EU body. Egypt will transmit to Israel daily lists of individuals slated to cross the following day in both directions. Israel will also allow low-level militants wounded during the war to leave via Rafah if they choose, and, in principle, all those exiting will be permitted to return.