Israel aims to ensure more Palestinians are let out of Gaza than back in

Israel wants to restrict the number of Palestinians entering Gaza through the border crossing with Egypt to ensure that more are allowed out than in, three sources briefed on the matter said ahead of the border's expected opening next week.



The head of a transitional Palestinian committee backed by the U.S. to temporarily administer Gaza, Ali Shaath, announced on Thursday that the Rafah Border Crossing - effectively the sole route in or out of Gaza for nearly all of the more than 2 million people who live there - would open next week.



The border was supposed to have opened during the initial phase of President Donald Trump's plan to end the war, under a ceasefire reached in October between Israel and Hamas.



Earlier this month, Washington announced that the plan had now moved into the second phase, under which Israel is expected to withdraw troops further from Gaza and Hamas is due to yield control of the territory's administration. The Gaza side of the crossing has been under Israeli military control since 2024.