Israel will reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday (1 February), allowing limited movement of Palestinians in both directions after nearly two years of closure, Israeli authorities said on Friday.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli body responsible for civilian coordination in Gaza, “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.”
European Union border patrol agents will supervise the crossing, and both Israel and Egypt will vet individuals for entry and exit.
The reopening marks a key step in implementing U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan. The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to the outside world, has been largely closed since May 2024.
Israel had previously resisted reopening the crossing.
Officials said the return Ran Gvili's remains to Gaza on Monday helped clear the way for the measure.
The move is expected to ease humanitarian constraints in Gaza, though travel will remain tightly controlled. Humanitarian groups have long called for the crossing to reopen, highlighting the severe restrictions on movement, trade, and medical access caused by the extended closure.
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One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cabinet on Friday (3 April) in a bid to contain a growing scandal over the alleged fraudulent use of European Union farm subsidies.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
President Donald Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the U.S. military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after Iran downed a warplane, while the search continues for a second. At the same time, Iran has officially told mediators it will not meet U.S. officials in Islamabad in the coming days, calling U.S. demands unacceptable, according to The Wall Street Journal.
A parliamentary vote in Myanmar has elected junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as president, consolidating his grip on power five years after he ousted an elected government in a coup.
Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz has hailed the growing importance of the Organisation of Turkic States (OTS) amid rapidly shifting regional and global dynamics.
The Central Eurasian Venture Forum has brought together investors, start-ups and technology leaders in Tashkent, highlighting the region’s rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem and growing investor interest in AI and digital solutions.
People in Tehran celebrated Sizdah Be-dar, the 13th day of Novruz, on Thursday. They picknicked with their families and friends in a park, as the war raged towards the end of its fifth week. Exclusive photos by Touraj Shiralilou.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
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