Israel has reopened Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt in what Israeli media described as a “pilot operation,” marking the first opening of the crossing in two years.
Israeli authorities said preparations are under way for the crossing to begin regular operations on Monday, marking the first step toward a broader reopening after nearly two years of closure.
Israel’s military body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, COGAT, said a pilot phase is currently testing and assessing procedures, with movement of residents expected to start once preparations are completed. The operation is being coordinated with Egypt and a European Union mission supervising the Gaza side of the terminal.
According to COGAT, the crossing will reopen for Gaza residents on foot only and in both directions, in line with the ceasefire framework and directives from Israel’s political leadership.
Israeli officials said Egypt requested that initial departures from Gaza be limited to wounded and ill patients, along with their accompanying relatives.
Palestinian health officials say around 20,000 patients are waiting to leave Gaza for medical treatment abroad.
Two Egyptian officials said at least 50 Palestinian patients are being processed to cross into Egypt, with around 200 people per day expected to leave Gaza in the first days, including patients and family members. About 50 people are expected to return to Gaza daily.
An Israeli defence official said the crossing can handle between 150 and 200 people per day in total, with more people leaving than returning because patients travel with escorts.
According to COGAT, only Palestinians who previously left Gaza during the war and have received prior Israeli security approval will be allowed to re-enter the territory in the first stage.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel plans to establish a military checkpoint near the Gaza side of the crossing, a move Egypt has opposed.
Before the war, Rafah was Gaza’s only direct gateway to the outside world that does not pass through Israel and served as a key entry point for humanitarian aid. The crossing has been largely closed since May 2024 and under Israeli military control on the Gaza side.
Reopening Rafah is a key element of the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war. However, the ceasefire has remained fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violations in recent weeks.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky...
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, ...
Pentagon officials have in recent weeks asked several NATO countries to tone down their rhetoric regarding the ...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Strengthened U.S.-Central Asia ties reflect a broader trend in international relations, with growing emphasis on developing alternative transit routes and diversifying energy and critical mineral supply networks to gain geopolitical influence.
At least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, in the second deadly rail disaster in less than a year on a major route linking Madrid with the southern Andalusia region.
UN human rights experts comprising a group including Special Rapporteurs and independent experts who are part of the UN Human Rights Council, have criticised French authorities over their handling of nationwide student protests.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Pentagon officials have in recent weeks asked several NATO countries to tone down their rhetoric regarding the threat posed by Russia, arguing that some statements by European leaders and officials have undermined continental security, four people familiar with the matter said.
AnewZ Daily Brief for 30 October 2026: Four humanitarian crises are deepening, with hospitals overwhelmed in Yemen, aid operations underway in Ukraine, hunger driving Afghan farmers back to poppy cultivation and a deadly drone strike devastating communities in Sudan.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has rejected a maritime boundaries agreement between Türkiye and Libya’s eastern parliament as “blatantly illegal, null and void, saying it ignored Greece’s islands and the realities of geography.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his country to achieve “absolute superiority” in drone technology while attending an exhibition and demonstration of unmanned aerial systems, state media KCNA reported on Friday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment