Gaza’s Rafah crossing reopens, permitting restricted journey as Palestinians declare delays and mistreatment

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

The crossing was closed Friday and Saturday resulting from confusion about reopening operations.

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

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

Delays and claims of mistreatment

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

Palestinian officers say almost 20,000 folks in Gaza are looking for to depart for medical care that isn’t accessible 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 gaggle 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 strategy to the Rafah crossing with Egypt for therapy overseas, members of the family advised The Associated Press.

Amjad Abu Jedian, who was injured within the battle, was scheduled to depart Gaza for medical therapy on the primary day of the crossing’s reopening, however solely 5 sufferers have 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 bogs 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 affirm the opening.

A gaggle of Palestinians additionally arrived Sunday morning on the Egyptian facet of the Rafah crossing border 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 an Israeli-backed Palestinian armed group, Abu Shabab. A European Union mission and Palestinian officers run the border crossing, and Israel has its screening facility a ways away.

The crossing was reopened on Feb. 2 as a part of a fragile ceasefire deal that stopped the battle between Israel and Hamas. Amid confusion across the reopening, the Rafah crossing was closed Friday and Saturday.

The Rafah crossing, a vital lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza, was the one crossing not managed by Israel previous to the battle. Israel seized the Palestinian facet of Rafah in May 2024, although visitors by way of the crossing was closely restricted even earlier than that.

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 depart, however far fewer folks than anticipated have crossed in each instructions.