Gaza’s Rafah border crossing reopens once more, permitting restricted journey for Palestinians to and from Egypt

A restricted variety of Palestinians had been capable of journey between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday after Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopened after a two-day closure, Egyptian state media reported. The important border level opened final week for the primary time since 2024, one of many principal necessities for the U.S.-backed ceasefire.

The crossing was closed on Friday and Saturday because of confusion about reopening operations, AP reported.

Egypt’s Al Qahera tv station stated that Palestinians started crossing in each instructions round midday on Sunday. Israel didn’t instantly verify.

Egyptian state media additionally reported on Sunday that the nation was getting ready to obtain one other group of Palestinians who had been wounded or sick and in search of remedy in Egyptian hospitals.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is anticipated to journey to Washington this week, although the key topic of debate will probably be Iran, his workplace stated.

Over the primary 4 days of the crossing’s opening, simply 36 Palestinians requiring medical care had been allowed to go away for Egypt, plus 62 companions, in keeping with United Nations information, after Israel retrieved the physique of the final hostage held in Gaza and several other American officers visited Israel to press for the opening.

Palestinian officers say almost 20,000 folks in Gaza are in search of to go away for medical care that’s not obtainable within the war-shattered territory. Those who’ve succeeded in crossing described delays and allegations of mistreatment by Israeli forces and different teams concerned within the crossing, together with an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab.

A bunch of Palestinian sufferers and wounded gathered Sunday morning within the courtyard of a Red Crescent hospital in Gaza’s southern metropolis of Khan Younis, earlier than making their option to the Rafah crossing with Egypt for remedy overseas, members of the family instructed The Associated Press.

Amjad Abu Jedian, who was injured within the conflict, was scheduled to go away Gaza for medical remedy on the primary day of the crossing’s reopening, however solely 5 sufferers had been allowed to journey that day, his mom, Raja Abu Jedian, stated. Abu Jedian was shot by an Israeli sniper whereas he was constructing conventional loos within the central Bureij refugee camp in July 2024, she stated.

On Saturday, his household acquired a name from the World Health Organization notifying them that he’s included within the group that may journey on Sunday, she stated.

“We want them to take care of the patients (during their evacuation),” she stated. “We want the Israeli military not to burden them.”

The Israeli protection department that oversees the operation of the crossing didn’t instantly verify the opening.

A bunch of Palestinians additionally arrived Sunday morning on the Egyptian facet of the Rafah crossing to return to the Gaza Strip, Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News satellite tv for pc tv reported.

Palestinians who returned to Gaza within the first few days of the crossing’s operation described hours of delays and invasive searches by Israeli authorities and Abu Shabab. A European Union mission and Palestinian officers run the border crossing, and Israel has its screening facility a long way away.

The Rafah border crossing reopened Feb. 2 as a key step within the present ceasefire deal, which halted greater than two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, site visitors was restricted. State-run Egyptian media and an Israeli official confirmed on the time that the reopening was largely symbolic, since not many individuals could be allowed to journey in both route and no items might enter.

Restrictions negotiated by Israeli, Egyptian, Palestinian and worldwide officers meant that solely 50 folks could be allowed to return to Gaza every day, and 50 medical sufferers — together with two companions for every — could be allowed to go away, however far fewer folks have thus far crossed in each instructions.

An important lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza, the Rafah crossing was the one one within the Palestinian territory not managed by Israel earlier than the conflict. Israel seized the Palestinian facet of Rafah in May 2024, although site visitors by way of the crossing was closely restricted even earlier than that.

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