Israel reopens Gaza’s Rafah border crossing to Egypt, with tight limits

February 2, 2026 3:35 PM

Israel reopens Gaza’s Rafah border crossing to Egypt, with tight limits

Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for a limited number of people on foot, allowing a small number of Palestinians to leave the enclave and some of those who escaped the war to return for the first time. The crossing, in Israeli-held territory in what was once a city of a quarter of a million people that Israel has since completely demolished and depopulated, is the sole route in or out for nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million residents. It has been largely shut fo...

Rafah border crossing may reopen within days amid Gaza recovery push

January 23, 2026 4:31 PM

Rafah border crossing may reopen within days amid Gaza recovery push

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt could reopen within days, raising expectations of increased humanitarian access as recovery efforts continue following the war in Gaza. Ali Shaath, head of Gaza’s interim administration, said the crossing was expected to open “in both directions” next week, without giving a specific date. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Shaath said preparations were under way to facilitate the reopening, a move that could allo...

Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate from more areas of Gaza’s Rafah

May 12, 2024 1:37 PM

Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate from more areas of Gaza’s Rafah

Israel called on Saturday for Palestinians in more areas of Gaza's southern city of Rafah to evacuate and head to what it calls an expanded humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, in a further indication that the military is pressing ahead with its plans for a ground attack on Rafah. The Israeli military also called on residents and displaced people in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza to clear out, saying it was returning to operate there after it noticed Hamas trying to re-establish its...