Israel says it will reopen the Rafah crossing “in the coming days” to allow Palestinians to leave Gaza, but Egypt denies any agreement, insisting the October cease-fire requires a two-way reopening.
Israel announced that it plans to reopen the Rafah border crossing “in the coming days” so that Palestinians can exit Gaza for Egypt, describing it as a one-way opening overseen with help from the European Union. The move would offer a rare escape route for Gazans, particularly the sick and wounded, after months of closure. But Egypt immediately denied coordinating such a reopening, arguing that the October cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas requires the crossing to function in both directions — a condition that would also allow displaced Gazans in Egypt to return home.
Though Israel and Hamas agreed to those terms in mid-October, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later kept Rafah closed “until further notice,” leaving the border’s status contested despite Israel’s latest announcement.