Ambulances wait on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip in northeastern Egypt on February 1, 2026.
First group of Palestinians returning from Egypt arrives at Rafah crossing en route to Gaza
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The first group of Palestinians returning from Egypt has arrived at the Rafah crossing on Monday morning, according to Egyptian media reports.
At the same time on the Palestinian side the first batch of Gaza’s wounded begins transfer to Egypt through Rafah.
Read more: Gaza's Rafah crossing reopens for pedestrians in both directions starting today
The Palestinian side of the crossing began operating “on a trial basis” on Sunday, more than a year and a half after 'Israel’s' near-total closure.
According to Hebrew media sources, about 50 Palestinians are expected to enter Gaza, while 150 patients and their companions will leave for medical treatment in Egypt. Official estimates in Gaza indicate that 22,000 patients are still awaiting the reopening of the crossing.
Since May 2024, 'Israel' has controlled the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing as part of what Gaza officials describe as a two-year-long genocidal campaign that began on October 8, 2023.
During the January 2025 ceasefire, 'Israel' briefly reopened the crossing to allow patients and the wounded to receive treatment outside Gaza, but it was closed again when hostilities resumed in March 2025.
The crossing was also supposed to reopen under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement that began on October 10, 2025, but Israel has so far failed to comply with that provision.
