Israel is set to reopen the Rafah border crossing to allow residents of the Gaza Strip to travel to Egypt. This was reported by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, according to France24.
“As part of the ceasefire agreement... the Rafah crossing will open in the coming days exclusively for residents of Gaza to exit to Egypt,” the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated.
COGAT added that the crossing will operate under the supervision of an EU mission, “similar to the mechanism that was in place in January 2025,” when the crossing was briefly opened during a six-week ceasefire.
Two European diplomatic sources indicated that they were initially preparing to open the pedestrian crossing on October 14 following a similar statement, but the opening was postponed.
The reopening of Rafah is part of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Palestinian territories, which has also been long urged by UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations.
The Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing in May 2024, claiming it was “being used for terrorist purposes” amid suspicions of arms trafficking. It was briefly reopened during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on January 19, initially allowing passage for those permitted to leave Gaza, followed by trucks.