Rafah crossing set to reopen as Israel-Hamas truce begins

Ceasefire Leads to Rafah Crossing Reopening

With the initial phase of the ceasefire and peace agreement between Israel and Hamas now in place, the Rafah crossing will once again allow movement between Gaza and Egypt.

The European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) has indicated that it will resume its monitoring operations. This was confirmed by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crossetto on Friday, stating that the crossing is set to reopen on Tuesday.

Crossetto mentioned that operations aimed at freeing Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners will kick off on Sunday, October 12. He noted that Israel is making efforts to restore the functionality of the crossing’s infrastructure as soon as possible.

According to Crossetto, approximately 600 trucks per day are expected to deliver humanitarian aid through various other crossings. He also approved ongoing operations in Italy as per the EUBAM mission.

The Hill has sought comments from the White House regarding the situation.

Earlier, in May 2024, Israel had taken control of Rafah, which led to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordering the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians in the eastern area. This was followed by a targeted attack just hours later. At that time, Rafah was the final point for humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

After the ceasefire agreement, tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to the northern region of Gaza following the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office announced that as part of the ceasefire deal, about 2,000 Palestinians held by Israel would be released in exchange for all remaining hostages held by Hamas.

U.N. officials have urged Israel to open more borders for humanitarian aid to enter the conflict-affected region. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric reported that humanitarian organizations have started sending ambulances, fuel, medical supplies, and essential goods across the Kerem Shalom crossing.

President Trump is anticipated to visit Israel and Egypt this Sunday to oversee the peace agreement.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel reportedly launched an airstrike on the Lebanese village of Musaileh, resulting in one fatality and damage to a highway linking Beirut to southern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.