Israel reopens Gaza's Rafah border crossing to Egypt, with limits

Israel reopened the border between Gaza and Egypt on Monday for people on foot, a move that would allow Palestinians to leave the enclave and let back in those who want to return after fleeing Israel's war in the enclave.



The reopening of the Rafah border crossing will be limited, with Israel demanding security checks for Palestinians entering and exiting. Israel and Egypt were expected to impose caps on the number of travellers.



Israel seized the border crossing in May 2024, about nine months into the Gaza war that was brought to a tenuous halt by an October ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. Rafah's reopening was an important requirement under the first phase of Trump's broader plan to stop fighting between Israel and Hamas militants.



An Israeli security official said that European monitoring teams had arrived at the crossing, which "has now opened to the movement of residents, for both entry and exit."