Israel Report: Rafah border crossing opens for "trial run"
According to a media report, the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip has initially been opened for a "trial run". The Israeli news portal "ynet" wrote that regular passenger traffic in both directions would not resume until Monday. An Israeli spokesperson confirmed the report. According to Palestinian sources, around 50 patients were to leave the destroyed coastal strip with escorts.
01.02.2026, 08:35
SDA
Egyptian security sources, on the other hand, said that Israel had not yet agreed to the reopening on the Palestinian side. The opening for passenger traffic has been postponed until Monday. As a result, no Palestinians will be able to leave the Gaza Strip this Sunday. The trial opening in both directions is only intended to test the process. However, injured or sick Palestinians did not leave Gaza.
According to Israeli reports, it is estimated that around 150 people will leave the Gaza Strip every day from Monday, while around 50 could return. The crossing would thus be partially reopened for the first time after an interruption of around a year. The move is part of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.
Gaza's most important gateway to the world
Entry and exit from the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing will be permitted in coordination with Egypt - after prior security checks by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission (Eubam Rafah). According to Israeli information, 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 terrorist organization Hamas. According to the Israeli Cogat authority, this is a total of around 42,000 Palestinians.
The Rafah border crossing 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. For the time being, aid supplies can only enter the area via other border crossings.
