Rafah Border Crossing set to reopen to pedestrians

The crossing has remained a sensitive issue, with Israel seeking to prevent Hamas from exploiting it for military or smuggling purposes.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel is scheduled to reopen the Rafah Border Crossing to limited pedestrian movement on Sunday, marking the first such opening since the outbreak of the war. The decision was approved by Israel’s political leadership and will be implemented under the terms of the ceasefire framework.

Under the planned arrangement, the crossing will operate in both directions for people only, with no vehicle traffic permitted. Daily quotas will be set for those entering and exiting Gaza, and all travelers will be required to receive prior security clearance.

According to the plan, individuals entering the Gaza Strip will undergo an initial inspection by Egyptian authorities, followed by an additional Israeli security screening conducted in the IDF-controlled buffer area. Those leaving Gaza will be checked by locally approved Gazan personnel, with assistance from a European Union mission.

Oversight will follow the monitoring model agreed upon in January 2025 and will be carried out under Israeli supervision from afar. Passenger lists will be transferred by Egypt to Israel 24 hours in advance and approved according to security criteria.

The Rafah crossing, which connects southern Gaza to Egypt, has long served as a critical gateway for civilian movement and humanitarian access. At the same time, its status has remained a sensitive issue in negotiations, as Israel has sought to prevent Hamas from exploiting the corridor to rebuild military capabilities or revive smuggling routes.

Until recently, Israel kept the Rafah crossing closed as leverage, conditioning its reopening on the return of the remains of the final fallen hostage, Master Sgt. Ran Gvili. Israeli media described the policy as a clear signal that Israel would not move toward postwar normalization or border easing while Hamas continued to hold the body.

Diplomatic efforts to reopen the Rafah crossing intensified in recent weeks. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ali Shaath, a former Palestinian Authority official named chair of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, publicly predicted the crossing would reopen in both directions “within days,” prompting Israeli officials to push back.

Israeli officials said at the time there was no standing directive to open the Rafah crossing and stressed that any such move required approval by the political leadership. A senior official added that Rafah would not reopen until the return of Ran Gvili.

Following the return of Gvili’s remains, Israeli officials authorized the move, clearing the final political obstacle. The reopening scheduled for Sunday marks a shift in Gaza’s border arrangements, with Israel saying the crossing will operate under strict security oversight.