The Rafah border crossing, operated by Egyptian authorities, is the only Gaza crossing not directly controlled by Israel. Now it is the only entry point for aid and exit point for those able to leave.
Sometimes called the Gaza Strip’s « lifeline, » the Rafah border crossing with Egypt has come under extreme focus as the latest war between Israel and Hamas grinds into its second month.
It is controlled and operated by Egyptian authorities, with Hamas also exercising control over who can pass through — the only Gaza crossing not controlled by Israel.
Although Egypt has frequently closed the crossing, adding to Gaza’s isolation, the crossing has nevertheless served as a vital link between the besieged territory — which has been under an Israeli-imposed land, sea and air blockade since 2007 — and the rest of the world.
The blockade was tightened after the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which Hamas-led militants forced their way into the country and killed 1,400 people, returning to Gaza with more than 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Israel’s heavy military response has killed more than 10,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Humanitarian groups say Israeli bombings and complete siege of the territory have now made the need even more critical to transport aid through Rafah to Gaza’s more than 2 million people.
The crossing opened last week for the limited evacuation of foreign passport holders and some critically injured Palestinians. The White House said Sunday that 300 Americans and their families have been able to get out of Gaza in recent days, though other U.S. citizens remain in the territory.
On Monday, the Rafah crossing reopened once more for foreign passport holders whose names were included on an approval list, according to a statement by the General Authority for Crossings and Borders, run by the Hamas government in Gaza. On Tuesday, it opened once more for those on a new list of people approved to cross into Egypt.
In normal times, Rafah is primarily a civilian crossing for Palestinians needing to go to Egypt for medical care and personal reasons. But with all other borders closed since the conflict began, it has now become the only entry point for what little humanitarian aid has been allowed into the enclave.Who controls Rafah and how was it used before the war?
The Rafah crossing, located on Gaza’s 7.5-mile border with Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, is one of three Gaza Strip border crossings, and the only one that doesn’t communicate with Israel.
