The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt was reopened in both directions on Monday, after being completely closed during the war between Israel and Hamas.
According to BBC Arabic, an Israeli security official said: “From this moment, and after the arrival of the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) teams on behalf of the European Union, the Rafah crossing is now open for the movement of people, both in and out”.
The only gateway to Gaza without crossing through Israel
The Rafah crossing with Egypt is the only land crossing for the Gaza Strip without passing through Israel, but it has remained closed since Israeli forces took control of it in May 2014. It was partially reopened briefly in early 2015.
Limited Passage for Residents Only
The Israeli government’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated: “In accordance with the ceasefire agreement and directives from the political echelon, the Rafah crossing was opened today, allowing limited passage for residents only”.
its added: “As part of that, today we began an initial pilot phase that was carried out in coordination with the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM), Egypt and all relevant stakeholders”.
