The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt opened on Monday for a limited number of people traveling both directions. It marks a beginning of the long-anticipated next phase of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire deal.
On January 26, Israel recovered the remains of the final hostage taken by Hamas in the attack on October 7, 2023. It then moved forward with plans to reopen the crossing.
Israel had originally agreed to allow 50 people to cross in each direction the first day. However, on Monday, only about 12 people from each side actually did.
Travelers from Gaza to Egypt were medical evacuees, going to Egypt to receive treatment. Several hospitals in Egypt were ready to receive the patients.
Mohamed Abu Mustafa traveled to receive treatment for an eye injury. The 17-year-old was shot last year while getting food from aid trucks near the southern city of Khan Younis.
“We have been waiting for the crossing to open,” says his mother, Rajaa Abu Mustafa. “Now it’s opened and the health ministry called and told us that we will travel to Egypt for [his] treatment.”
According to Gaza health officials, about 20,000 more Palestinian children and adults need medical treatment abroad. The war has devastated the health system in Gaza.
Travelers returning to Gaza were the first to reenter since Israel seized the crossing in April 2024. Most were people who left for medical treatment at the beginning of the war and now wish to reunite with their families.
Iman Rashwan was thrilled to get the news that her mother and sister will be returning to Gaza. Those family members left a year ago for her mother to receive treatment for a heart condition in Egypt. “This time it’s real,” Rashwan says. “They called us yesterday and said they received news that they will leave. We have been waiting for it for too long.”
A few aid trucks also entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing. With much of the region turned to rubble, the United Nations says the population of more than two million Palestinians needs an influx of fuel, food, medicine, and tents.
The people of Gaza hope the passage will remain open for larger numbers of travelers. The next steps of the ceasefire deal are complicated. Those involve installing a Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, and disarming Hamas.
Pray for healing for the sick and injured. Pray that peace will be firmly established between Israel and those living in Gaza.
