Israel Announces Plans to Open Rafah Crossing for Gazans to Exit to Egypt Soon

Israel has announced on December 3 that the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt will soon be opened to allow residents of the Palestinian territory to exit. The Israeli Defence Ministry body responsible for overseeing civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, COGAT, stated, “In accordance with the ceasefire agreement… the Rafah Crossing will open in the coming days exclusively for the exit of residents from the Gaza Strip to Egypt.” The crossing will be operated under the supervision of the EU’s Border Assistance Mission, similar to previous mechanisms in 2025. Diplomatic sources shared that they had initially been prepared for the crossing to open for pedestrians on October 14 after a previous announcement, but the opening was postponed.