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Palestinian embassy in Egypt says Rafah crossing to reopen for returnees on Monday
The embassy says Palestinian citizens living in Egypt who want to return to Gaza will be able to travel via the Rafah crossing starting on Monday.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the embassy called on anyone who wishes to travel to register ahead of time.
It added that the embassy “will communicate with citizens and inform them of the gathering times and locations in preparation for movement towards the Rafah border crossing”.
Many questions remain over Rafah crossing reopening
The Palestinian embassy in Cairo has made the announcement that Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who are currently residing in Egypt – meaning those who have been forcibly displaced in this war – will now have the opportunity to return to the Gaza Strip.
But there hasn’t been any sort of information from the Israelis. Last week, the coordinator for [Israeli] government activities in the [Palestinian] territory, COGAT … said that preparations were being made for the reopening of the crossing but that its opening date would be announced later.
So, it’s unclear exactly if people are going to be allowed to leave [Gaza]; but those people residing in Egypt are going to be allowed to come back to Gaza. This was a huge sticking point for many people, saying that if Palestinians leave, are they ever going to be able to come back to their homeland.
There’s still no word if foreign press is going to be allowed into the territory. And it’s worth mentioning that this area has been under siege by Israeli forces since May of 2024, when troops went in on the ground and completely destroyed the entire area of southern Gaza.
Rafah crossing will not reopen ‘until further notice’: Netanyahu’s office
The Israeli prime minister’s office says Netanyahu “has instructed that the Rafah crossing will not be opened until further notice”.
“Its opening will be considered based on the manner in which Hamas fulfills its part in the return of the deceased hostages and in implementing the agreed-upon framework,” the statement said.
As we reported earlier, the Palestinian embassy in Cairo announced that Palestinians residing in Egypt would be allowed to go back to Gaza via the Rafah crossing, starting on Monday.
Netanyahu’s statement means it is now unclear whether that will be possible. We’ll bring you more updates when we can.
