Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopens

Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt has come back to life, with heightened activity following news of its reopening, widely regarded as a vital access point for the Palestinian enclave.

Palestinian security officers were seen passing through the Egyptian gate toward the Palestinian side to join a European Union mission overseeing entry and exit at the crossing.

The reopening marks an important step as a US-brokered agreement reached last year enters its second phase.

This phase of the truce deal includes plans to establish a new Palestinian committee to administer Gaza, deploy an international security force, disarm Hamas, and initiate reconstruction efforts in the war-battered territory.

Before Israel’s war on Gaza, Rafah served as the primary crossing for people entering and leaving the enclave. While Gaza has four additional border crossings, these are shared with Israel, which continues to impose strict controls on the delivery of essential aid.

Amid concerns that Israel could use the crossing to force Palestinians out of Gaza, Egypt has repeatedly insisted that Rafah must remain open for both entry into and exit from the territory.

Historically, both Israel and Egypt have vetted Palestinians seeking to cross through the Rafah border.

Source: Aljazeera