Palestinians return to Gaza for first time in over 2 years through reopened Rafah border crossing

The Rafah Border Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has officially been opened to civilian foot traffic entering Gaza for the first time since the start of the Oct. 7 Gaza War, as the second phase of the ceasefire has now officially been launched.

After a pilot reopening of the crossing on Sunday was deemed “very successful,” the Rafah border crossing officially began receiving returning Gazans on Monday. As previously reported, the crossing will only allow Gaza residents to enter or leave the Strip, with traffic initially limited to around 200 people per day. 

Palestinians wishing to enter or leave the Gaza Strip must be approved by Israel beforehand. The crossing is being operated by Gaza residents under the immediate supervision of a European Union team, but with remote surveillance by the IDF and Israeli security forces. 

The U.S. has been pushing Israel to reopen the crossing as a key component of advancing to the second phase of the ceasefire, after Israeli troops located the remains of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, last week.

For Israel, the most important aspect of this phase is the disarmament of Hamas, which the terror group continues to reject. According to Army Radio, the IDF has presented the political leadership with a range of options on how to proceed in the Gaza Strip, including plans for a new ground operation should alternative plans to disarm the group fail.

However, military officials are said to be willing to give a chance to U.S.-led efforts to disarm Hamas without Israeli military interventions.

Among the options the IDF presented is the “Lebanon model”, according to the report, which means conducting continuous airstrikes to thwart the terror group's rehabilitation efforts, based on the Israeli policy regarding Hezbollah's attempts to rebuild itself in Lebanon.

The IDF reportedly assesses that several more weeks are needed to gain greater clarity regarding developments in Gaza and the chances for success of the civilian efforts to rebuild the enclave.

Nevertheless, the IDF has approved offensive plans for a potential new ground operation as a “contingency plan,” in case those efforts fail.

“Within a few weeks we could regain control of the entire Gaza Strip – and this time it would be faster, more aggressive, and more powerful – because there is no longer the constraint of maneuvering in an area with hostages,” officials told Army Radio.

Meanwhile, Egyptian media showed pictures and video of Gazans returning to the enclave from Egypt for the first time in over two years on Monday.

תמונות שיוצאות בשעה האחרונה ממעבר רפיח שישראל פתחה לעזתים, מראות שעד לפני שנה היו נחשבות למדע בדיוני:
תור לצ'ק אין, החתמות דרכונים, מזוודות שנבדקות ע"י עובדי הרשות הפלסטינית, טרמינל משופץ וחיילי צה"ל שמנטרים מרחוק pic.twitter.com/QEeeZ702ku

— יואב זיתון (@yoavzitun) February 2, 2026

The Egyptian Red Crescent Society said it was providing assistance at two humanitarian service centers, one each on the arrivals and departures sides of the crossing. The society said that services include the provision of wheelchairs, assistance and accompaniment for sick, wounded, or elderly residents, and the operation of a humanitarian kitchen. 

While several of those returning had left for medical treatment outside of Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that the exit of sick and wounded from Gaza for treatment abroad would only be carried out through the Kerem Shalom crossing at this time. The ministry did not give any estimate for when such cases could travel through the Rafah Crossing. 

תיעוד מתוך הגעת הפעימה הראשונה של עזתיים שחוזרים לרצועת עזה דרך מעבר רפיח pic.twitter.com/Kb6PHLFZRz

— כל החדשות בזמן אמת (@Saher_News_24_7) February 2, 2026

Pictures of the crossing on the Emirati news site Al-Ain showed a turnstile checkpoint that residents wanting to cross must pass through, while saying that the stiles can be remotely locked by Israeli authorities, in the event that an unapproved person tries to cross through. 

It reported a statement received from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which said, “The return of the population from Egypt to the Gaza Strip will be made possible only with Egyptian coordination for those who left Gaza during the period of the war, after obtaining prior security approval from Israel.” 

Palestinian sources told Al-Ain News that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), headed by Ali Shaath, is expected to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Crossing in the coming days. 

The committee, which was formally announced last month, has been working remotely from Egypt and is currently preparing to enter the Gaza Strip to begin direct on-site work in the near future. 

In a recent statement, Hamas said that it is preparing to hand over responsibility for much of the civil administration of Gaza to the Committee. However, reports in Arab and Israeli media claim that Hamas is also planning to assert some measure of influence over the group by housing the Committee in offices under direct Hamas oversight in Gaza City, and guarding the facility with Hamas police officers. 

If true, this, along with Hamas’ refusal to disarm, would represent an additional failure by the terror organization to uphold its responsibilities under the Gaza ceasefire agreement.