Rafah Border Reopens, Allowing Gaza Patients Access to Medical Care in Egypt

The reopening marks the first patient transfers in nine months, though broader humanitarian aid access remains uncertain.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened for the first time in nine months, enabling the transfer of around 50 patients and their companions to Egypt for medical treatment.
The reopening is part of a three-phase agreement between Hamas and Israel to address the humanitarian crisis and end the Gaza conflict.
Approximately 12,000 to 14,000 individuals in Gaza urgently require medical care unavailable within the territory, including at least 2,500 children with severe conditions or war injuries.
While 3,000 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies are prepared to enter Gaza, there is no confirmation yet that aid deliveries via Rafah will resume immediately.
The EU has deployed a mission to support Palestinian border personnel, and the U.S. has expressed hopes for increased aid deliveries, though logistical and security challenges persist.