ISTANBUL

The head of a Palestinian committee tasked with running the Gaza Strip said Monday that mechanisms for registration and priorities for Palestinians crossing through the Rafah terminal with Egypt will be announced “to ensure transparency and equal opportunity.”

The reopening of the Rafah crossing “is not merely an administrative measure, but the beginning of a long path…to open a genuine window of hope for our people in the Gaza Strip,” Ali Shaath, the head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, said in a statement.

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt partially reopened on Monday after nearly two years of closure by Israel under very strict conditions.

No information was yet available on whether any Palestinians had actually crossed via the terminal on Monday.

The crossing operation “embodies a cooperative achievement with the participation of partners committed to facilitating movement, as a core component of (Gaza)’s 20-point plan launched by US President Donald Trump,” Shaath said.

“We are working with full effort and determination, in cooperation with the mediators, the Palestinian Authority, and the Board of Peace led by President Trump, to ensure that this step serves as an entry point to broader arrangements for stability, the restoration of basic services, and the groundwork for relief, recovery, and reconstruction.

“The registration mechanisms, priority criteria, and travel schedules will be announced through official, approved channels, to ensure transparency, organization, and equal opportunity among citizens,” Shaath said.

He hailed “the exceptional and responsible role” played by Egypt for opening the crossing in both directions, and thanked the mediators “who contributed to achieving this process.”

The committee expects that reopening the crossing “will provide a vital outlet for humanitarian cases, particularly patients and wounded individuals referred for medical treatment abroad, as well as students, family reunion, and other categories with humanitarian needs,” Shaath said.

According to Israeli media, around 150 Palestinians will be allowed to leave Gaza and 50 to enter via the crossing every day.

Gaza health officials estimate that about 22,000 patients are waiting for the crossing to fully reopen to seek medical treatment abroad.

A vital route for humanitarian aid, Israel captured the Rafah crossing in May 2024, almost nine months into Tel Aviv’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 71,000 people and injured over 171,000 others since October 2023.

The terminal was scheduled to be reopened in October under the first phase of a ceasefire deal, but Israel refused to do so until it received the remaining of its last captive in Gaza, which took place last week.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued its attacks, killing 524 people and injuring 1,360 others since October 10, according to Gaza’s media office.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul