Israel reopens Rafah crossing to limited civilian movement

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopened on Monday for the movement of people, ending a closure that began after Israeli forces seized the Gazan side in May 2024.

The first crossings involved patients, companions, and a smaller number of returnees. Egyptian ambulances lined up south of the terminal as buses moved people from Gaza under escort.

The opening followed the arrival of European Union teams and came after Israel recovered the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza.