TEL AVIV/GAZA (dpa-AFX) – According to Israeli information, the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which has been closed since the beginning of the Iran war, is now open again for limited passenger traffic. The responsible Israeli Cogat authority confirmed the opening in both directions upon request. She had previously announced the crossing would reopen in the middle of the week. The state-affiliated Egyptian television channel Al-Kahira News also reported the limited reopening in the morning.
It was initially unclear how many people would enter and leave during the day.
When the Israeli-American attacks on Iran began on February 28, Israel initially closed all crossings into the coastal strip – and described this as a “necessary security measure”.
Relief supplies arrive via the Kerem Shalom border crossing
The Rafah crossing was only reopened at the beginning of February after around a year for the entry and exit of a limited number of Gaza residents. Entry and exit are strictly controlled. Aid supplies are still not being delivered to the Gaza Strip via this border crossing. Israel’s army took control of the Rafah crossing on the Palestinian side during its offensive in the Gaza Strip in May 2024. Since then it has been closed almost continuously.
The Kerem Shalom crossing, which is particularly important for supplying the approximately two million inhabitants of the largely destroyed Gaza Strip, was reopened for goods traffic on March 3rd. This crossing connects the Gaza Strip with Israel./cir/DP/zb
