CAIRO, March 19 - The Rafah border point between Gaza and Egypt was reopened on Thursday after being closed for almost three weeks, allowing a handful of injured Palestinians to travel into Egypt for medical treatment, officials said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that the limited transit would include eight Palestinians who were wounded in Israeli attacks during the two-year war and 17 of their relatives, all permitted to enter Egypt for care following the crossing's reopening. It remained unclear how many individuals would be permitted to cross from Egypt back into Gaza.
Local medics in Gaza said Israeli strikes on the territory had killed four people, and Gaza's health authorities later reported that two Israeli airstrikes on Thursday killed at least four Palestinians and wounded others in separate incidents in Gaza City. There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Why the crossing opened
Sources told Reuters earlier that the decision to open the border followed recent discussions in Cairo between envoys from President Donald Trump’s "Board of Peace" and Hamas representatives. Those talks were described as efforts to protect the Gaza ceasefire, which officials say has been under mounting strain since the United States and Israel initiated strikes on Iran.
The Rafah crossing had been largely closed since May 2024 in the early months of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, though it briefly reopened in early February. Its reopening this week provided limited relief to Palestinians seeking to depart Gaza for medical care or to return after fleeing the fighting.
Casualties and the state of the truce
The territory's health ministry reported that nearly 680 people have been killed by Israeli fire since the October ceasefire. Israel has reported that four of its soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza during the same period. Both sides have exchanged accusations over violations of the ceasefire.
While residents, medics, and analysts noted a decline in Israeli attacks in the days immediately following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, those sources said attacks have begun to increase again in recent days, coinciding with renewed pressure on the ceasefire.
Immediate implications
- Short-term humanitarian access has been partially restored for a very limited number of patients and family members.
- Uncertainty persists about return movements into Gaza and the durability of the ceasefire under current regional tensions.