Israel to Reopen Rafah Crossing for Limited Pedestrian Traffic
Israel announces the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt for limited pedestrian movement, following the recovery of the last Israeli hostage's remains.
Israel has announced that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen on Sunday, February 1, for limited pedestrian traffic. This decision follows the recovery of the remains of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.
The reopening will allow individuals to cross in both directions, subject to prior security clearance by Israel. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated that entry and exit will be coordinated with Egypt and supervised by the European Union mission, similar to the mechanism implemented in January 2025.
COGAT specified that residents returning from Egypt to Gaza will be permitted entry if they left during the course of the war and have obtained prior security clearance from Israel. An additional screening and identification process will be conducted at a designated corridor operated by the defense establishment in an area under IDF control.
Approximately 42,000 Gazans left the Strip during the war, primarily for medical treatment abroad or due to dual citizenship.
The Rafah crossing has been largely closed since May 2024, when Israel seized control to prevent arms smuggling by Hamas. Medical evacuations occurred only during a temporary ceasefire in early 2025.
Under the current ceasefire agreement, the reopening of the Rafah crossing is a significant step in the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan. However, the crossing will not be open to humanitarian aid convoys at this time.
In related developments, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported four separate incidents over the past day in which Hamas operatives were killed. These incidents occurred in various locations across Gaza, including the Maghazi camp area and eastern Rafah. The IDF stated that the operatives posed immediate threats to Israeli troops and were targeted to remove these threats.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, implemented in October 2025, remains fragile, with ongoing incidents reported in the region.
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