Israel set to reopen Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt for first time since May 2024

Israel announced Thursday that it volition reopen the Rafah borderline crossing for radical to question betwixt Gaza and Egypt for the archetypal clip since May 2024. 

Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities successful the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civilian efforts successful Gaza, said the crossing "will unfastened this coming Sunday (February 1st) successful some directions, for constricted question of radical only." 

"The instrumentality of residents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip volition be permitted, successful coordination with Egypt, for residents who near Gaza during the people of the warfare only, and lone aft anterior information clearance by Israel," COGAT said. 

"In summation to initial identification and screening astatine the Rafah Crossing by the European Union mission, an additional screening and recognition process volition beryllium conducted astatine a designated corridor, operated by the defence constitution successful an country nether IDF control," it continued.

WITKOFF CELEBRATES 'NEW DAY IN THE MIDDLE EAST' AFTER FINAL ISRAELI HOSTAGE IS RETURNED FROM GAZA

An Egyptian subject conveyance stands adjacent the Rafah borderline crossing betwixt Egypt and the Gaza Strip, successful Rafah, Egypt, connected Aug. 6, 2025.  (Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

This volition beryllium the archetypal opening of the Rafah crossing for radical since Israel seized the country successful May 2024, according to Reuters. Israeli forces captured the territory arsenic portion of an effort to forestall arms smuggling into Gaza by the violent radical Hamas. 

In aboriginal 2025, determination was an evacuation of aesculapian patients on the way during a impermanent ceasefire, The Associated Press reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bureau had said Sunday that Israel agreed to a "limited reopening" of the crossing nether President Donald Trump’s 20-point bid plan.

ISRAEL ANNOUNCES LIMITED REOPENING OF RAFAH CROSSING UNDER TRUMP'S 20-POINT PLAN

A motortruck carrying humanitarian assistance astatine the Rafah borderline connected the Egyptian side, successful Rafah, Egypt, connected Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026.  (Reuters)

"As portion of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel has agreed to a constricted reopening of the Rafah Crossing for pedestrian transition only, taxable to a afloat Israeli inspection mechanism," the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel wrote. 

The Prime Minister’s Office said the reopening was contingent connected the instrumentality of each surviving hostages and what it described arsenic a "100 percent effort" by Hamas to locate and instrumentality the remains of each deceased hostages.

Israeli soldiers thrust past destroyed buildings successful Rafah successful the Gaza Strip connected Sept. 13, 2024. (Sharon Aronowicz/AFP via Getty Images)

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Israel connected Monday past confirmed that the remains of Staff Sgt. Ran Gvili, the past Israeli hostage held successful Gaza, person been recovered and returned location after 842 days. 

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.