The Rafah border crossing is meant to reopen under the ceasefire, allowing Palestinians to leave or return. It is Gaza’s only connection to the outside world, not directly run by Israel.

Rafah

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

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Israel is preparing to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt as part of a ceasefire agreement. The crossing, vital for Palestinians as their only link to the outside world, has seen various control arrangements since 2005, including periods of joint oversight by the Palestinian Authority, Egypt, and the European Union. 

Following Israel's direct takeover of the crossing in May 2024, the question of who will manage the border remains unresolved. The Palestinian Authority has expressed willingness to participate in its operation, but Israel has stated it will not allow the PA to govern Gaza or the crossing. Suggestions for European supervision have been raised, but any long-term arrangement is still under negotiation.

Israel set to reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing under ceasefire

The Rafah border crossing should be open now as part of the ceasefire deal to allow Palestinians in Gaza to leave and give a chance to those who want to return. But it's unclear how the border will operate. The Rafah crossing is a lifeline for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as their only connection to the outside world and the only crossing that was not directly controlled by Israel. In 2005, a U.S.-brokered agreement signed by Israel and Egypt allowed the Palestinian Authority and a European Union mission to operate the border, although Israel maintained indirect control over Palestinians' ability to travel. This lasted for about two years until Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007. Israel imposed an aerial land and sea blockade on Gaza. The EU mission withdrew and the Palestinian Authority members lost their control over the Strip, including the Palestinian side of the border. For the most part, Egypt kept the crossing closed after Hamas' takeover, occasionally opening it for brief periods. In May 2024, seven months into the war on Gaza, Israeli forces raided the crossing, seized control of it and razed its buildings. For the first time in 20 years, Israeli forces directly controlled the border crossing and deployed soldiers all across the Philadelphia corridor, where they remain today. As part of the Trump ceasefire deal, which calls for their gradual withdrawal, Israeli forces remain in approximately 53% of the Gaza Strip, including most of Rafah, raising questions about its use. The Palestinian Authority says it's prepared to take a part in the running of the crossing, like it did in 2005. We were, the Palestinian Authority police were there, and the Egyptians, so there were three parties, Egypt, Palestine and the Eurocops. Now we are ready to engage again. But Israeli officials have said repeatedly that they won't allow the PA to have a role in governing Gaza or operating the crossing. Some suggest European supervision, but that could be just a temporary step. I don't think that Israel is going to agree on general arrangements at this stage, maybe later, but at this stage, when they are in the middle of negotiations and when they still have demands from the other side, like the bodies and in the future the disarming of Hamas. For Palestinians, Rafah isn't about travel or aid alone. It's about who holds the keys and who strips them of control over their own movement, keeping them cut off from one another and isolated from the rest of the world.

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Israel set to reopen Gaza’s Rafah crossing under ceasefire

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