Israel is set to reopen the Rafah border crossing, enabling residents of the Gaza Strip to travel to Egypt. This was announced by officials from Israel's Ministry of Defense, as reported by France24.
“In accordance with the ceasefire agreement... the Rafah crossing will open in the coming days exclusively for residents of Gaza to exit to Egypt,” stated the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).
COGAT added that the crossing will operate under the supervision of the EU border assistance mission, “similar to the mechanism that was in place in January 2025” when it briefly opened during a six-week truce.
Two European diplomatic sources indicated that they initially prepared to open the pedestrian crossing on October 14 following a similar announcement, but the opening was postponed.
The reopening of Rafah is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for Palestinian territories, a move long advocated 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 people permitted to leave Gaza, and later for trucks.