Israel on Friday announced that it will reopen the pedestrian crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt over the weekend, a move seen as a significant step in advancing U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire initiative for Gaza.
In a statement, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military body overseeing coordination with Gaza, said a “limited movement of people only” would be permitted through the Rafah crossing starting Sunday. Rafah is Gaza’s primary outlet to the outside world.
The announcement came after separate remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ali Shaath, who was recently appointed to lead the Palestinian administrative committee managing Gaza’s day-to-day affairs, indicating that the crossing was expected to reopen in the coming days.
While COGAT said the crossing would be open in both directions from Sunday, Shaath described the first day as a trial phase, with full two-way travel set to begin on Monday.
According to an Israeli official familiar with the discussions, Israel has agreed to allow up to 150 people to exit Gaza each day. This would include 50 medical patients, each accompanied by two family members. The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, said up to 50 people who had fled Gaza during the war would also be allowed to return daily.
Gaza’s health ministry estimates that around 20,000 sick and wounded Palestinians require medical treatment outside the enclave. The territory’s healthcare system has been severely damaged by the war, leaving many advanced medical procedures unavailable.
COGAT said that both Israel and Egypt would screen individuals seeking to cross, with the Rafah terminal to be overseen by European Union border officials. Palestinians leaving or re-entering Gaza will also undergo Israeli screening in the adjacent corridor, which remains under Israeli military control.
The Rafah crossing has been almost entirely shut since Israel took control of it in May 2024, a move Israel said was aimed at preventing weapons smuggling by Hamas. It was briefly reopened earlier this year to allow the evacuation of medical patients during a short-lived ceasefire.
