March 16, 2026 | 06:53 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel announced on Sunday that the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will reopen for two-way traffic starting Wednesday, March 17, 2026, allowing limited travel for Palestinian residents.
The Israeli government body, COGAT, stated that the decision followed "a security assessment and an examination of the conditions enabling the resumption of operations at the crossing."
The terminal will operate with limited passenger movement while maintaining "the necessary security restrictions in light of the security situation and the threats in the area," the statement added, according to Anadolu.
COGAT noted the crossing will function under the same mechanism as before its closure, subject to relevant security instructions.
Passenger movement through the crossing will be coordinated with Egypt, following prior security approval by Israel and under the supervision of the European Union mission, the statement said.
Additional screening and identification procedures will be conducted along the "Regavim" route, operated by Israel in military-controlled areas.
On February 2, Israel partially reopened the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which it has occupied since May 2024. However, this occurred under very limited conditions and strict restrictions.
On February 28, Israel announced the closure of all crossings in the Palestinian territories until further notice following its attacks on Iran.
On March 3, the Israeli military stated it had begun a gradual reopening of the Karem Shalom crossing with security restrictions. Officials claimed the entry of aid to Gaza would be based on needs identified by the United Nations (UN) and international humanitarian groups.
Estimates from Gaza indicate that about 22,000 injured people need to leave the territory for treatment abroad, as the healthcare system has collapsed after two years of Israeli genocide.
Before the attack, hundreds of Palestinians used the Rafah crossing daily to travel to Egypt, while hundreds regularly returned to the territory.
At that time, the Gaza Ministry of Interior operated the crossing in cooperation with Egypt, without Israeli involvement.
A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on October 10, 2025, following the Israeli genocide that killed over 72,000 Palestinian residents and injured over 171,000 others.
The attacks also destroyed approximately 90 percent of the civilian infrastructure in the territory, with the UN estimating reconstruction costs at around $70 billion.
Read: Reports: Israeli Group Discreetly Flown Gaza Residents to Indonesia and South Africa
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