Rafah crossing reopens for Gaza travel as Israel tightens remote security checks

The Rafah Crossing is set to be opened today, Sunday, allowing Gaza residents to enter and exit via the border with Egypt for the first time since the start of the war, as reported Saturday evening on Kan News.

At this stage, entry to and exit from the Strip will be limited to Gaza residents only, and foreign journalists will not be permitted to enter Gaza. The crossing’s capacity, at least initially, will be about 200 people per day.

According to estimates, more people are expected to leave than enter.

In addition, the technocratic committee is expected to enter Gaza in the coming days via the crossing. This is described as an Israeli gesture, signaling the start of the second phase of the Trump framework.

Meanwhile, senior Hamas official abroad Muhammad Nazzal said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the opening of the Rafah Crossing and the entry of the technocratic committee into the Strip would be the first nails in the coffin of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to derail the ceasefire agreement.

Exit from Gaza to Egypt

Israel will approve the list of those leaving Gaza by name. They will exit via the crossing, which will be operated by Gazans under the supervision of a European Union mission. At the exit point there will be a turnstile controlled remotely by Israeli security authorities, who will be able to block passage from afar. In other words, there will be no Israeli presence at the crossing itself, but a technological mechanism will allow Israel to remotely prevent the crossing of individuals who were not approved (for example, senior Hamas officials).

Entry into Gaza from Egypt

Only residents who have been approved will be allowed to enter Gaza. They will also enter via the crossing, operated by Gazan representatives and supervised by a European Union mission.

After entering Gaza, they will be transported by bus to an Israeli screening facility, where they will undergo facial recognition and a physical security check. The goal is to ensure that only approved individuals enter and that there are no attempts to smuggle weapons or unauthorized equipment. In other words, entry into Gaza will involve full Israeli security screening.

Kan News also reported on Saturday that the opening of the Rafah Crossing is linked to an Israeli strike carried out this morning in Gaza City, in which approximately 30 people were reportedly killed.

The target of today’s strike was a Hamas police headquarters. In recent days, Hamas has increased the deployment of its police forces throughout the Strip in order to signal to the technocratic committee that it remains deeply entrenched on the ground.

Hamas also intends to secure the entry of the technocratic committee using its police forces. Therefore, Israel struck this specific target – the police headquarters at the heart of Hamas’ power base, Gaza City.