A. Rahman
In a development tied to ongoing peace negotiations, Israel has given the green light for a restricted restart of operations at the Rafah border point linking Gaza with Egypt. This move comes after Israeli troops seized the site back in May 2024 to curb alleged arms flows to Hamas, effectively sealing off Gaza’s primary non-Israeli controlled outlet for aid, medical trips, and commerce. The partial opening aligns with the next stage of a U.S.-mediated truce deal, which has already seen swaps of hostages, boosted relief supplies, and some withdrawal of forces from the area.
Starting small, the arrangement permits just 50 individuals to pass each way on day one, all under strict checks by Israeli and Egyptian security teams. It’s geared toward helping a fraction of the many Palestinians needing urgent care outside the strip, with the World Health Organization handling registrations for thousands seeking evacuations. Gaza’s health authorities report over 20,000 people, including more than 11,000 battling cancer, are lined up to exit, as local medical facilities have been hammered by airstrikes that wiped out the region’s sole dedicated cancer center last March. Tragically, around 900 folks, from kids to those with serious illnesses, have passed away while stuck waiting, per WHO figures.
Beyond health crises, this step could mend broken family ties, given the large Palestinian community in Egypt, and open doors for short trips or longer stays abroad. One Egyptian source, keeping details under wraps, shared with news outlets that the initial cap is set at 50 crossings daily in both directions. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas hailed it as a solid advance in the roadmap for calm, pointing out that EU observers are already in place to oversee things and assist local Palestinian staff at the border.
Personal accounts underscore the human stakes. Tamer al-Burai, a 50-year-old dealing with severe sleep issues, has been pleading with aid groups and officials to get out and rejoin his loved ones, saying he’s reached out to everyone from the WHO to Palestinian leaders for a chance to save his health. In a heartbreaking case, Muatasem El-Rass lost his wife Dalia Abu Kashef to liver failure while they awaited permission for a transplant; her brother was ready to donate, but delays proved fatal. On a brighter note, Mohammad Talal, a young trader whose home was leveled in Jabalia, is eager to return despite the ruins, longing to embrace his father again, even if it means tent living.
This limited access marks progress in a conflict spanning more than two years, which has uprooted countless families and ravaged essential services. Looking ahead, it’s part of broader plans involving a fresh Palestinian oversight body for Gaza, international peacekeepers, Hamas disarmament, and reconstruction efforts. Yet, with such tight restrictions, it might fall short of addressing the full scope of desperation on the ground.
Quick Summary
Israel has okayed a cautious restart of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, starting with 50 people per direction daily under joint security vetting, as part of U.S.-led ceasefire steps. This offers medical exits for some of Gaza’s 20,000+ patients in need, amid stories of loss and hope, though the scale remains limited against vast humanitarian demands.
