Rafah crossing reopens for just a few Palestinians to journey between Gaza and Egypt

[ad_1] CAIRO (AP) — A dozen Palestinian returnees have been allowed into Gaza from Egypt late Monday after the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah border crossing was marred by delays. Their arrival got here hours after a small group of medical evacuees was ferried from the territory into Egypt.

The reopening of the crossing marked a key step within the Israel-Hamas ceasefire however largely a symbolic one, with few folks allowed to journey and no items allowed to go via. The restrictions have been obvious Monday as crossings fell effectively wanting the 50 folks officers had stated could be allowed to maneuver in every path.

About 20,000 Palestinian kids and adults needing medical care hope to go away the devastated territory by way of the crossing, in keeping with Gaza well being officers. 1000's of different Palestinians exterior the territory hope to enter and return residence.

The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in Could 2024. The variety of vacationers is anticipated to extend over time if the system is profitable. Israel has stated it and Egypt will vet folks for exit and entry.

Ambulances queued for hours on the border earlier than ferrying sufferers into Egypt, the state-run Al-Qahera Information satellite tv for pc tv channel confirmed. Simply earlier than midnight, a bus arrived in Gaza carrying Palestinian returnees who had fled the combating early within the conflict. Because the automobile entered the compound of a hospital in Khan Younis, a lady sporting barrettes and an older lady stood simply contained in the entrance door, waving to kin anxious for his or her return.

Earlier than the conflict, Rafah was the primary crossing for folks transferring out and in of Gaza. The territory’s handful of different crossings are all shared with Israel. Below the phrases of the ceasefire, which went into effect in October, Israel’s army controls the world between the Rafah crossing and the zone the place most Palestinians stay.

Violence continued throughout the coastal territory Monday. Gaza hospital officers stated an Israeli navy ship had fired on a tent camp, killing a 3-year-old Palestinian boy. Israel’s army stated it was trying into the incident.

Egypt prepares to obtain the wounded Rajaa Abu Mustafa stood exterior a Gaza hospital the place her 17-year-old son Mohamed awaited evacuation. He was blinded by a shot to the attention final yr as he joined determined Palestinians looking for meals from support vans exterior the southern metropolis of Khan Younis.

“The well being ministry known as and informed us that we'll journey to Egypt for (his) therapy,” she stated.

About 150 hospitals throughout Egypt are able to obtain sufferers evacuated from Gaza via Rafah, authorities stated. However the remoted crossing is separated from Cairo by a six-hour drive. The Egyptian Crimson Crescent stated it has readied “secure areas” on the Egyptian aspect of the border to assist these evacuated.

Greater than 10,000 sufferers have been evacuated from Gaza because the conflict started, in keeping with the World Well being Group. However Israel’s seizure of the Rafah crossing introduced the tempo of evacuations to a crawl, with a mean of 17 sufferers every week leaving for more often than not since.

Israel has banned sending sufferers to hospitals within the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem because the conflict started, reducing off what was beforehand the primary outlet for Palestinians needing medical therapy unavailable in Gaza.

U.N. officers on Monday known as on different international locations to soak up extra sufferers from Gaza “so that everybody receives the therapy they want.”

With the crossing reopened, Gaza residents regarded ahead to the return of relations who fled earlier within the conflict.

“This time it’s actual,” stated Iman Rashwan, anticipating the arrival of her mom and sister. They left Gaza a yr in the past when her mom’s coronary heart situation worsened and he or she was referred for therapy in Egypt.

“They known as us yesterday and stated they obtained information that they may go away,” Rashwan stated. “We now have been ready for it for too lengthy.”

The Rafah crossing will likely be supervised by European Union border patrol brokers with a small Palestinian presence. Traditionally, Israel and Egypt have vetted Palestinians making use of to cross. Fearing that Israel may use the crossing to push Palestinians out of the enclave, Egypt has repeatedly stated it have to be open for them to enter and exit Gaza.

Palestinian toddler killed by Israeli fireplace A 3-year-old Palestinian was killed when Israel’s navy hit tents sheltering displaced folks in Khan Younis, Palestinian hospital authorities stated. In line with Nasser hospital, which obtained the physique, the assault occurred in Muwasi, a tent camp space on Gaza’s coast.

Additionally on Monday, Israel’s army stated it killed 4 Palestinians in northern Gaza who approached troops close to the line marking Israeli-controlled territory , “posing an imminent menace to them.”

Greater than 520 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fireplace because the ceasefire went into impact on Oct. 10, in keeping with Gaza’s well being ministry. They're among the many over 71,800 Palestinians killed because the begin of the conflict, in keeping with the ministry, which doesn't say what number of have been fighters or civilians.

The ministry, a part of Gaza’s Hamas-led authorities, retains detailed casualty data which can be seen as usually dependable by U.N. businesses and unbiased consultants.

Rafah’s opening represents ceasefire progress Israel had stated seizing the Rafah crossing in Could 2024 was a part of efforts to fight arms-smuggling by the Hamas militant group. The crossing was briefly opened for the evacuation of medical sufferers throughout a ceasefire in early 2025.

Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing, however the restoration of the stays of the last hostage in Gaza cleared the best way to maneuver ahead.

The reopening is seen as a key step because the U.S.-brokered ceasefire settlement strikes into its second part.

The truce halted greater than two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas that started with the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Its first part known as for the alternate of all hostages held in Gaza for a whole lot of Palestinians held by Israel, a rise in badly wanted humanitarian support and a partial pullback of Israeli troops.

The second part of the ceasefire deal is extra sophisticated. It requires putting in the brand new Palestinian committee to control Gaza, deploying a world safety power, disarming Hamas and taking steps to start rebuilding.

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Federman reported from Jerusalem. Related Press journalists Wafaa Shurafa in Khan Younis, Gaza and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

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Discover extra of AP’s protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

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This story has been corrected to indicate that the newest determine from Gaza’s Well being Ministry says 71,800 Palestinians have been killed.

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