Mohammad Sıo
15 March 2026•Update: 15 March 2026
ISTANBUL
Israel announced Sunday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen for movement in both directions starting Wednesday, allowing limited travel of people.
Israeli government agency COGAT said in a statement the decision was made following “a security assessment and an examination of the conditions enabling the resumption of operations at the crossing.”
The terminal will operate with a limited passenger movement while maintaining “the necessary security restrictions in light of the security situation and the threats in the area,” the statement added.
COGAT said the crossing will function under the same mechanism that existed before its closure and subject to the relevant security directives.
The movement of passengers through the crossing will take place in coordination with Egypt, after prior security approval by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission, the statement added.
Additional screening and identification procedures will be conducted along the “Regavim” route operated by Israel in areas under army control, the statement said.
On Feb. 2, Israel partially reopened the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which it has occupied since May 2024, but under very limited conditions and strict restrictions.
On Feb. 28, however, Israel announced the closure of all crossings in the Palestinian territories until further notice following the outbreak of war with Iran.
On March 3, the Israeli army said it had begun a gradual reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing under security restrictions, claiming that the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip would be based on needs identified by the UN and international humanitarian groups.
Palestinian estimates in Gaza indicate that around 22,000 wounded people and patients need to leave the enclave for treatment abroad amid the collapse of the territory’s healthcare system following a two-year Israeli war.
Before the war, hundreds of Palestinians used the Rafah crossing daily to travel to Egypt, while hundreds returned to the enclave in regular movement.
At the time, the crossing was operated by Gaza’s Interior Ministry in coordination with Egypt, without Israeli involvement.
A ceasefire agreement entered into force in Gaza on Oct. 10, 2025, following the Israeli war that left more than 72,000 Palestinians dead and over 171,000 injured while destroying about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.
