Israel to open Rafah Crossing within days to allow authorized Gazans to exit to Egypt

Cairo denies coordinating with Jerusalem on opening of border; Israel previously insisted on Hamas returning all hostages before allowing passage, but bodies of 2 are still in Gaza

Israel announced on Wednesday that it will reopen the Rafah Border Crossing in the coming days for the exit of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt, though Cairo denied it was coordinating with Jerusalem on renewing operations at the facility.

Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the Defense Ministry body that oversees the flow of people and goods to and from Gaza, said the move is “in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and the directives of the political leadership.”

COGAT said that Palestinians will be able to leave Gaza via the Rafah Crossing in coordination with Egypt, after Israeli security approval, and under the supervision of a European Union delegation — a mechanism similar to one activated in January.

An Israeli official, who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press to discuss operational plans, said that all Palestinians who want to exit Gaza will be able to exit through Rafah as long as Egypt agrees to receive them, but the crossing won’t be open for people wishing to return to Gaza. The official said the EU still had to make some adjustments to logistics before the crossing could open.

There were no details on when Palestinians who leave Gaza would be able to return to the Strip via the crossing.

Egypt’s State Information Service denied that the country is coordinating with Israel to reopen the crossing, Al-Qahera news reported.

An Egyptian official cited by al-Qahera said that any agreement to open the Rafah Crossing will see it open to traffic in both directions, in accordance with US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan.

The first phase of a US-brokered hostage-release ceasefire deal that came into effect in October called for the crossing to be opened for medical evacuations and for travel to and from the Strip.

Israel previously said the crossing would remain shuttered until Hamas fulfills its part in the deal. Hamas has yet to return the bodies of two hostages held in Gaza since October 7, 2023: police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili and Thai national Sudthisak Rinthalak.

Hamas announced on Wednesday it would hand over the body of a deceased hostage to Israel at 5 p.m. after it was discovered in the northern Gaza Strip during a search conducted along with Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades.

The Rafah Crossing was shut by Egypt after Israeli forces seized the Gaza side in May 2024, but was briefly reopened in early 2025 during a short-lived ceasefire.

At least 16,500 patients in Gaza are said to be in need of medical care outside of the enclave, according to the United Nations. Some Gazans managed to leave for medical treatment abroad through Israel.

For a long time, the crossing was the main exit point for Palestinians from Gaza who were authorized to leave the narrow strip of land, which has been under Israeli-Egyptian blockade since 2007, aimed at preventing terror groups from smuggling in weapons.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.