Key Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopening for medical evacuations
The European Union has restarted its civilian mission to monitor the border crossing at Rafah as the key transit point between Gaza and Egypt is set to reopen on Saturday for medical evacuations.
Gaza’s Health Ministry on Friday confirmed that a number of Palestinians – including injured civilians and Hamas fighters – would enter Egypt on Saturday via the Rafah crossing, which has been shut to human traffic since May 2024.It will initially be opened for 50 injured fighters and 50 wounded civilians, along with the people escorting them, Hamas officials said, adding that a further 100 people – most likely students – would be allowed through on humanitarian grounds.
People will only be allowed to travel in one direction, from Gaza to Egypt, for the time being, officials have said.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said on Friday that “the EU’s civilian border mission deploys today to the Rafah crossing at the request of the Palestinians and the Israelis.
“It will support Palestinian border personnel and allow the transfer of individuals out of Gaza, including those who need medical care,” in a post on X.Egyptian security sources confirmed that members of the EU team had arrived at the facility.
The crossing will now be run by members of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and European monitors, PA and according to Hamas officials.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the transportation of patients from two hospitals in the north and south of the enclave would be coordinated with the World Health Organization.
At a news briefing in Geneva on Friday, WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn said about 12,000-14,000 patients were waiting to be evacuated from Gaza across the Rafah crossing.Yossi Mekelberg, an analyst at United Kingdom-based think tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that “from an Israeli point of view, the idea of allowing Hamas fighters to get medical treatment was something that, only a few weeks ago, they would not have agreed to. Now, it’s happening.”
He added that “it’s also symbolic that they’re allowing Rafah to open as a crossing to reach Egypt. We are beginning to see some return to normalcy and some return to common sense among all sides.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of Egyptians attended a demonstration near the Rafah crossing on Friday to protest against a plan floated by US President Donald Trump to move Palestinians from the territory to Egypt and Jordan, Egyptian media reported.
State-linked TV Al-Qahera News showed footage of hundreds of protesters waving Egyptian and Palestinian flags near the border crossing.
Last week, Trump last week proposed a plan to “clean out” the Gaza Strip, and for Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians from the war-ravaged territory.