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PALESTINIANS in Gaza watched with a mixture of hope and frustration on Sunday as preparations began to reopen the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, the territory’s main link to the outside world, after months of closure.
AP reported today Israel saying the crossing would resume operations on Monday as part of the ongoing ceasefire with Hamas, though only a small number of people will be allowed to cross initially.
“Opening the crossing is a good step, but they set a limit on the number of people allowed to cross, and this is a problem,” said Ghalia Abu Mustafa, a resident of Khan Younis.
Israeli authorities said the crossing had opened on a trial basis and that Gaza residents would be permitted to begin crossing on Monday. The Israeli military agency responsible for coordinating aid said the limited flow would expand if the system proves workable.
For many displaced families, the restrictions remain a source of deep anxiety.
“We want a large number of people to leave, for it to be open so that sick people can go and return,” said Suhaila Al-Astal, who was displaced from Rafah and said her daughter urgently needs medical treatment abroad. “We want the crossing to be open permanently.”
Israel’s announcement came a day after Israeli air strikes killed at least 30 Palestinians, including several children, according to hospital officials. It was among the highest reported death tolls since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10. Israel accused Hamas of violating the truce, an allegation that heightened fears the ceasefire could unravel.
Nicolay Mladenov, director-general of US President Donald Trump’s newly formed Gaza peace board, urged restraint from all sides.
He called on the parties to “exercise restraint” and said his office was working with the newly appointed Palestinian committee tasked with overseeing Gaza to identify measures that would prevent future incidents.
Under the initial phase of reopening, only a limited number of people will be allowed to enter or leave Gaza each day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will permit 50 patients requiring medical evacuation to leave daily.
An official involved in the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, said each patient would be allowed to travel with two relatives, while 50 Palestinians who left Gaza during the war would be permitted to return each day.
However, Zaher al-Wahidi, head of the Gaza Health Ministry’s documentation department, said the ministry had not yet been informed about the start of medical evacuations.
Israel has said that both Israel and Egypt will vet individuals crossing in either direction, with European Union border patrol agents supervising operations at Rafah. The number of travellers is expected to rise gradually if the arrangements prove successful.
At the same time, Israel announced it was moving to terminate the operations of Doctors Without Borders in Gaza by Feb. 28.
Israel’s Diaspora Ministry said the decision followed the group’s refusal to comply with new registration rules requiring humanitarian organisations to submit lists of local employees. The medical charity has said the regulations could place Palestinian staff at risk.
Doctors Without Borders had no immediate comment, but has previously warned that Israel’s decision would have a catastrophic impact on healthcare in Gaza.
The organisation provides funding and international staff to six hospitals, operates two field hospitals and eight primary health centres, and runs two of Gaza’s five stabilisation centres for children suffering from severe malnutrition.
Israel has suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organisations from operating in Gaza for failing or refusing to comply with the new requirements.
The Diaspora Ministry says the rules are intended to prevent Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating aid operations, while humanitarian organisations have described them as arbitrary and harmful to civilians in desperate need of assistance.
Gaza’s health system has been devastated by more than two years of Israeli bombardment and restrictions on medical supplies.
Rafah was Gaza’s main crossing point before the war, facilitating most movement in and out of the enclave. Gaza has four other crossings with Israel.
On Sunday, Palestinian security officers passed through the Egyptian gate at Rafah and headed toward the Palestinian side to join an EU mission overseeing the crossing, according to an Egyptian official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Ambulances were also seen crossing through the Egyptian gate.
Israel seized control of the Rafah crossing in May 2024, describing the move as necessary to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons.
The crossing briefly reopened during a short ceasefire in early 2025 to allow limited medical evacuations.
Israel had resisted reopening Rafah more broadly, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage held in Gaza last week cleared the way for progress.
Under the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces continue to control the area between the crossing and Gaza’s main population centres.
Egypt has repeatedly warned against any attempt to use the crossing to push Palestinians out of Gaza, insisting it must remain open for travel in both directions.
Historically, Israel and Egypt have jointly vetted Palestinians seeking to cross.
The ceasefire halted more than two years of fighting that began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed 71,795 Palestinians, including 523 since the ceasefire began, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but maintains detailed casualty records regarded as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
The first phase of the ceasefire called for the exchange of all hostages held in Gaza for hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel, a surge in humanitarian aid and a partial withdrawal of Israeli troops.
The second phase is expected to be more complex, involving the installation of a new Palestinian governing committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarming of Hamas and initial steps toward reconstruction. - February 2, 2026