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Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt resumed limited operations Monday under the terms of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire agreement, reopening a critical gateway that had been largely closed for nearly two years.
The reopening comes with tight restrictions. Only a small number of people will be permitted to travel in either direction and commercial goods will not be allowed to pass through the crossing, officials said.
Egyptian authorities said the first day of operations will allow up to 50 Palestinians to cross in each direction, a figure that reflects the narrow scope of the initial reopening rather than a full return to prewar travel.
Health officials in Gaza say tens of thousands of residents with urgent medical needs are seeking evacuation through Rafah, underscoring the pressure on the crossing even as access remains tightly controlled. Thousands of Palestinians currently outside Gaza are also hoping to return.
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Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing on the way to the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat)
Before the war, Rafah served as Gaza’s primary passage to the outside world. All other crossings into the territory are shared with Israel. Under the ceasefire framework that took effect in October, Israeli forces continue to control the corridor between the crossing and the areas where most Palestinians live.
Israel and Egypt are vetting travelers, and the crossing is being overseen with international involvement, officials said, as part of efforts to prevent weapons smuggling while allowing limited humanitarian movement.
A crane enters the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing to the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat)
Egypt has said the crossing must function in both directions and has pushed back against any use of Rafah as a mechanism to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza.
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Elsewhere in the territory, fighting-related incidents continued despite the ceasefire. Gaza hospital officials accused an Israeli navy vessel of firing on a tent camp near the southern city of Khan Younis, killing a 3-year-old Palestinian boy. Israel’s military said it was reviewing the report.
Egyptian authorities said roughly 150 hospitals across the country are prepared to receive patients evacuated from Gaza, while the Egyptian Red Crescent has set up support areas on the Egyptian side of the crossing.
A truck carrying humanitarian aid at the Rafah border on the Egyptian side, in Rafah, Egypt, on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (Reuters)
Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, describing the move as part of its campaign against Hamas smuggling routes. The crossing was briefly opened for medical evacuations during a short-lived ceasefire in early 2025.
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10 halted more than two years of fighting that began with the Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The ceasefire’s initial phase focused on hostage exchanges, increased humanitarian aid and a limited Israeli pullback.
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A second phase envisions a new Palestinian governing arrangement for Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and steps toward reconstruction — goals that remain unresolved.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
