Watan-The Israeli Army Radio announced on Friday the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, while remaining in its surrounding area.
The radio, citing an unnamed security source, stated that the army had “withdrawn from the Rafah crossing and redeployed its forces along the Philadelphi Corridor in Rafah, between Gaza and Egypt.”
The source added that “according to the ceasefire agreement (in Gaza and the prisoner exchange) between Hamas and Israel, the crossing will open today for the first time since early May.”
The source also indicated that the crossing will open only for Palestinians to exit Gaza, without allowing any entry into the enclave.
The source further stated that the crossing would be handed over to an international force from the European Union and Palestinians who are not affiliated with Hamas, as well as a force from the Egyptian side.
He added that “the Palestinians present at the crossing belong to Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, and their role is limited to stamping exit permits for those leaving Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Doron Kadosh, a correspondent for Army Radio, mentioned in a post on X that 50 wounded or injured individuals from Gaza will be allowed to pass through the crossing daily, along with three companions per patient—a total of 200 people per day. However, all those leaving, whether injured or their companions, will undergo preliminary screening by Israel’s Shin Bet and require Egyptian approval.
Regarding the operational mechanism of the crossing, Kadosh stated that mediators will transfer the names to Israel for screening, allowing Shin Bet to determine who can leave Gaza, in coordination with Cairo’s approval. The final list will then be handed over to the personnel operating the crossing.
Earlier on Friday, North Sinai Governor Khaled Mogahed stated that Rafah crossing would open within hours to transfer the wounded, coinciding with the Gaza Health Ministry’s announcement that the first group of patients would travel through the crossing on Saturday.
Mogahed added that Egypt’s Ministry of Health is ready to receive the injured Palestinians, without specifying their number. On Friday, the European Union announced the resumption of its civilian mission at the Rafah border crossing.
In a post on X, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated: “Europe is here to help. The EU’s civilian border mission is deploying today (Friday) at the Rafah crossing at the request of both the Palestinians and Israelis.”
According to Kallas, the mission will support Palestinian border staff and facilitate the evacuation of those in need of medical care from Gaza.
The reopening of the Rafah crossing represents a major step in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which came into effect on January 19, 2025, under mediation by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.
In May 2024, Israel occupied the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which serves as Gaza’s lifeline to the outside world, preventing thousands of wounded individuals from traveling for medical treatment.
Notably, the EU Border Assistance Mission was launched on November 24, 2005, following Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. However, its mandate ended on June 13, 2007, when Hamas took over Gaza’s administration.
The ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Hamas and Israel, which took effect on January 19, 2025, will last 42 days in its first phase, with negotiations to proceed toward a second and third phase under Egyptian and Qatari mediation, with U.S. support.
With U.S. backing, Israel committed genocide in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and January 19, 2025, resulting in over 159,000 Palestinian casualties, including martyrs and wounded, the majority of whom are children and women, with more than 14,000 missing.
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