Israel partially reopens Rafah crossing as limited evacuations resume

# Israel partially reopens Rafah crossing as limited evacuations resume

IO Digest Desk

A limited reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing began on 2 February 2026, allowing a small number of sick and wounded Palestinians to enter Egypt after more than 20 months of closure.

The first day fell far short of expectations. Egyptian officials had said about 150 people were due to leave Gaza and 50 were expected to enter, but by nightfall only a much smaller number had moved through the crossing. Reuters, as cited by The Guardian, reported that Israel allowed 12 Palestinians to re-enter Gaza and that 38 more remained on the Egyptian side overnight after failing to clear security checks. On the exit side, Israel permitted five patients, each accompanied by two relatives, to cross into Egypt. That left the total number moving in both directions at 27 for the day.

The crossing has been shut since Israeli forces seized it in May 2024, with only a brief opening during a ceasefire in early 2025 for the evacuation of medical patients. Its partial reopening is significant because Rafah is Gaza’s only crossing not shared with Israel, making it a critical route for medical care, family reunification, travel and trade.

Israel has said future movement through Rafah will remain subject to joint Israeli-Egyptian security screening. For now, only a limited number of Gaza’s tens of thousands of wounded and ill people will be permitted to leave each day. Gaza health officials say about 20,000 children and adults needing medical care hope to exit via the crossing, and thousands more Palestinians outside Gaza hope to enter and return home.

The humanitarian case is severe. The Guardian reported that more than 11,000 cancer patients are among those in need, while the World Health Organization says thousands of civilians have registered for medical evacuation and that 900 people, including children and cancer patients, have died while waiting. Médecins Sans Frontières said more than one in five of the evacuees registered with WHO are children.

For some families, the delay has already proved fatal. The paper reported the death of Dalia Abu Kashef, 28, who died while waiting for permission to cross for a liver transplant. Her husband said the family had found a donor and were waiting for Rafah to open so they could travel for surgery.

The reopening also carries political weight. Israel had kept Rafah sealed as part of the wider war, linking any reopening to the return of all hostages taken in the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023. That position shifted after the Israeli military said it had recovered the remains of the final captive, Ran Gvili, a police sergeant killed during the initial assault.

The move is now being treated as part of the next phase of the US-brokered ceasefire plan. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the opening a concrete and positive step, while the EU’s civilian mission said it was on the ground to monitor crossing operations and support Palestinian border guards. The Palestinian technocratic committee designated to help govern Gaza welcomed the reopening as only a first step.

Even so, the operation remains tightly controlled and politically fragile. In practice, the first day showed that Rafah is reopening only on Israel’s terms, with security screening setting the pace and humanitarian need far outstripping capacity.