Israel set to reopen Rafah Crossing under ceasefire agreement

Israel will reopen the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for pedestrian traffic in both directions on Sunday, according to the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) unit.

In a statement on Friday, COGAT said exit from and entry into Gaza via Rafah will be conducted in coordination with Egypt, following prior Israeli security clearance and under the supervision of a European Union monitoring mission, similar to a mechanism used in January 2025.

COGAT said the return of Gaza residents from Egypt will be permitted only for those who left the enclave during the war and only after Israeli security approval.

The move is part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire reached in October 2025 between Israel and Hamas after two years of war.

In addition to identification and screening at the crossing by European monitors, an additional screening process will be carried out in a designated corridor operated by the defense establishment in an area under IDF control.

According to COGAT data, about 42,000 Gaza residents left the territory during the war, most of them medical patients seeking treatment abroad or dual nationals.

Gazans seeking to enter or leave the Strip will require Egyptian approval, with names forwarded to Israel’s Shin Bet security service for clearance.

Israeli officials said each case will be reviewed individually, and senior terror operatives will not be allowed to leave.

Palestinian Authority representatives and European Union monitors stationed at Rafah are expected to conduct initial screening of those leaving Gaza.

Israeli supervision of departures to Egypt will be conducted remotely from a control room, where Israeli officers will use facial recognition technology to verify that travelers are on pre-approved lists before allowing passage.

Entry into Gaza from Egypt will include an Israeli security check at an IDF checkpoint after individuals cross Rafah, before they are allowed to proceed toward Hamas-controlled areas inside the Strip.

The Israeli decision was announced despite an upsurge in violence in the Rafah area.

The IDF said on Friday that soldiers overnight identified eight terrorists emerging from underground infrastructure in eastern Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, prompting an airstrike that killed at least three of them.

The Prime Minister’s Office announced on Jan. 25 that Israel had agreed to reopen Rafah after the IDF concluded “Operation Brave Heart” to return the remains of Israel Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, which happened the following day.