The Rafah border crossing was Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world not controlled by Israel before the war. When Israeli troops seized it in May 2024, that gateway was shuttered. Egyptian and Israeli officials say it reopened on Monday — but with tight restrictions. Israel says only a trickle of Gaza’s tens of thousands of wounded and sick Palestinians will be allowed out each day. Still, the reopening shows that the ceasefire in the two-year war between Israel and Hamas is moving forward and provides a glimmer of hope for Palestinians seeking to leave the strip — and those wishing to return home.
