The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, part of US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Palestinian territory, remains on hold despite calls from the UN and aid groups.
Here are five things to know about this crucial crossing:
– Crucial access point –
The Rafah crossing into Egypt is a crucial entry point for humanitarian workers and for lorries transporting aid, food and fuel, which is essential for daily life in a territory deprived of electricity.
For a long time, the crossing was the main exit point for Palestinians from Gaza who were authorised to leave this narrow strip of land, under Israeli blockade since 2007.
From 2005 to 2007, it was the first Palestinian border terminal controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
It then became one of the symbols of Hamas’s control over the Gaza Strip.
– Under Israeli control –
On May 7, 2024, the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side, claiming that the crossing was being “used for terrorist purposes”, amid suspicions of arms trafficking.
Access points have since been mostly closed, including those used by the United Nations.
Rafah briefly reopened during a brief ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19, initially allowing the passage of people authorised to leave Gaza, and later of trucks.
– Reopening soon? –
After the ceasefire spearheaded by Trump took effect, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar mentioned plans for a reopening, but the Israeli prime minister’s office ultimately announced that the crossing would remain closed “until further notice”.
The crossing must be open for the “movement of people only”, according to COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body that oversees civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories.
Trump’s plan, which underpins the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, stipulates that the territory would once again become accessible to international humanitarian aid and that the Rafah crossing would open.
But since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, Israeli authorities have stalled on the matter, citing Hamas’s failure to return the bodies of all hostages, then the need for coordination with Egypt, before conducting air strikes on Sunday over alleged Hamas violations.
– Kerem Shalom –
International aid generally arrives in Egypt via the ports of Port Said or El-Arish, the city closest to the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of humanitarian aid trucks are waiting to cross the border.
According to drivers’ accounts, once through the Rafah checkpoint, the trucks are directed to the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, a few kilometres (miles) away.
There, the drivers disembark their vehicles for inspection.
After strict checks, the goods authorised for entry are unloaded and then reloaded onto other vehicles authorised to enter Gaza.
– Other crossings –
The agreement brokered by Trump provides for the entry of 600 trucks per day.
For now, Israel is allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid in smaller quantities, three quarters of it through the Kerem Shalom crossing, and the rest through the Kissufim crossing, according to the UN.
The Erez, or Beit Hanoun, crossing, between Gaza and southern Israel, was destroyed by Hamas gunmen during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Briefly reopened in early 2025, it is currently closed, with no reopening date set.
Other access points have operated in the past, but Israeli authorities have not communicated on whether they will reopen.
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© Agence France-Presse
