The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has reopened, allowing the first medical evacuee to enter Egypt on Monday. The move marks a key step in the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, though its immediate impact is limited, with only a small number of Palestinians permitted to cross each day.
About 150 people were due to leave Gaza and 50 to enter, according to Egyptian officials. No goods will pass through the crossing, which has been closed since Israeli forces seized it in May 2024, apart from a brief reopening during an earlier ceasefire in early 2025.
Gaza health officials say roughly 20,000 children and adults requiring medical care hope to leave the devastated territory. Around 4,000 people have official referrals for treatment in third countries but have been unable to cross. Among them is Tamer al-Burai, 50, who has obstructive sleep apnoea and relies on a CPAP machine to breathe at night. He told Reuters he had appealed to humanitarian groups, the WHO and the Palestinian Authority to help him leave and save his life.
Ali Shaath, head of a Palestinian technocratic committee established to oversee Gaza's day-to-day governance, described the reopening as a “window of hope” for Palestinians. “This step is not merely an administrative measure; rather, it marks the beginning of a long process to reconnect what was severed,” he said in a statement.
Ambulances waited for hours at the border before ferrying patients across after sunset, footage from Egyptian state television showed. The number of travellers is expected to increase over time if the system proves successful, with Israel and Egypt vetting people for exit and entry.
