Israel has reopened the vital Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Sunday, February 1, 2026. This border was closed since May 2024 and partial movement has started here after almost two years. At present this route has been opened only for pedestrians and no goods or humanitarian aid trucks will be able to pass through here. Movement of common people will start completely from Monday, February 2.
Who will be allowed to come and go?
Officials have made it clear that only Palestinian residents will be allowed to cross the border. This system is entirely for the movement of people. For now, it has been decided that the number of people entering Gaza will be around 50 per day, while the number of people leaving Gaza will be limited to 150 per day.
Those who were stranded in Egypt or anywhere else during the war are being given a chance to return. However, this capacity is still quite limited and very few people will get a chance to go out every day.
How will the security check process be?
Very strict rules have been made for crossing the border. Names of people traveling will have to be submitted at least 24 hours in advance. After this they will be investigated at several levels. The first screening will be done by the European Union (EU) mission.
After this, Israeli security agency Shin Bet will investigate through biometric and face recognition from the control room. Finally, the physical examination will take place in a special corridor created by the IDF inside Gaza. Due to security reasons, no commercial or utility trucks are allowed to pass through here at present.
Fees and old expenses
Israel and Egypt have not yet announced any government fees for crossing the border. Egyptian officials say they see it as a service. However, during the last few years of the war, private agents had charged huge sums for evacuating people, ranging from $2,500 to $7,000. It has to be seen whether such recovery can be stopped in the new rules or not.
