Politics Israel: Rafah crossing will open to a limited extent on Sunday
According to Israeli information, the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen for limited passenger traffic this Sunday. This was announced by the responsible Israeli Cogat authority and the army.
30.01.2026, 15:30
SDA
The USA had pushed for the opening. It is part of the Gaza peace plan promoted by Washington.
Entry and exit from the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, it was said - after prior security checks by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission (Eubam Rafah). It will be similar to the mechanism introduced in January 2025.
According to the information provided, only Palestinians who left the Gaza Strip during the fighting will be able to return to the coastal area, which was extensively destroyed during the war against the Islamist Hamas. According to Cogat, this is a total of 42,000 Palestinians.
How many people will be able to enter or leave the area every day in future was not initially announced.
Important border crossing was closed for almost a year
The Rafah border crossing, which has been closed for almost a year, is considered Gaza's most important gateway to the world. It is the only border crossing in the Gaza Strip that does not lead to Israel. Israel's military controls the Gaza side of the crossing. Aid supplies continue to enter the area via other border crossings for the time being.
