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Israel Starts Pilot Reopening of Rafah Crossing as First Patients and Returnees Pass

The tightly vetted, EU‑supervised opening fulfills a ceasefire requirement by limiting crossings to small daily quotas for pedestrians.

Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing on the way to the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohamed Arafat)
TOPSHOT - Ambulances wait in line at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Palestinian Gaza Strip, in northeastern Egypt on the first day of the evacuation of some 50 Palestinian, at the Rafah crossing on February 2, 2026. Gaza's key Rafah border crossing was reopened to Palestinians on February 2, 2026, an Israeli security official said, but Egyptian state-linked media said only 50 people would be allowed to cross in each direction in the early days. The resumption of operations comes after Israeli forces seized control of the gateway to Egypt in May 2024 during the war with Hamas. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
Egyptian ambulances line up to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border from the Egyptian side, following the first day Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, in Rafah, Egypt, February 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer
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Overview

  • The crossing has reopened in pilot mode for foot traffic only under Israeli and Egyptian screening with European Union teams overseeing procedures.
  • Daily movement is capped at roughly 50 people in each direction, prioritizing medical evacuations with patients permitted two relatives, far short of about 20,000 awaiting treatment.
  • Initial movements began Monday with a first group of Gazan returnees processed and the day’s first medical evacuees entering Egypt after delays.
  • Commercial goods are still barred, and Israel has set up a new Regavim checkpoint to verify identities against approved lists and inspect luggage.
  • The reopening advances the U.S.-brokered ceasefire as reports of isolated strikes persist in Gaza and Israel orders Doctors Without Borders to cease Gaza operations by February 28.