The Rafah crossing, on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, is scheduled to reopen on February 1. This announcement was made by COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for coordinating government activities in the Palestinian territories.
"In alignment with the ceasefire agreement and directives from Israel's political leadership, the Rafah crossing will open this coming Sunday, February 1. It will operate in both directions, though exclusively for the limited movement of individuals," COGAT stated in an official release.
The agency clarified that all movement through the crossing will be coordinated with Egypt. Furthermore, every individual must pass security screenings by Israeli services and remain under the supervision of a European Union monitoring mission. COGAT noted that this protocol mirrors the mechanism established during the previous reopening of the crossing in January 2025.
Entry into Gaza will be strictly reserved for local residents who fled the enclave during the hostilities, and only for those who have secured prior authorization from Israel. "Beyond the initial identification and vetting performed by the EU mission at the Rafah crossing, a secondary verification process will take place within a dedicated corridor managed by the defense establishment in an area controlled by the Israel Defense Forces," the statement emphasized.
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Based on materials from TASS