First Palestinians Return to Gaza as Rafah Crossing Resumes
Footage shared by regional media showed Palestinians assembled at the crossing terminal after arriving, though they had not yet crossed into Gaza. The Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing resumed limited operations on Sunday as a trial measure, following a complete shutdown that lasted more than a year and a half due to Israeli restrictions.
According to reports, a small number of Palestinians are expected to re-enter Gaza, while a larger group of patients and their accompanying relatives are set to leave the enclave to receive medical treatment in Egypt. Health authorities in Gaza say tens of thousands of patients are still waiting for the crossing to reopen fully.
Israel has maintained control over the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing since May 2024, as part of its military campaign in Gaza that began in October 2023. The crossing was briefly reopened during a ceasefire in January 2025 to allow wounded and ill Palestinians to travel abroad for treatment, but it was shut again when military operations resumed in March.
Under the terms of a ceasefire agreement that came into effect in October 2025, Israel was expected to reopen the crossing during the initial phase, but this did not happen.
As stated by reports, Israel’s campaign in Gaza, carried out with backing from the United States, has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and injuries—most of them women and children—and has devastated the vast majority of civilian infrastructure. Ongoing ceasefire violations have continued to claim lives, while restrictions on humanitarian aid have left Gaza’s population facing dire living conditions.
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