Rafah Crossing: Five essential facts about the stalled reopening

The long‑promised reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt — a central element of the proposed ceasefire plan — remains stalled despite repeated appeals from the United Nations and aid organisations. Below are five key points to understand why Rafah matters and what is blocking its return to full operation.

1. Vital access point

The Rafah terminal is a primary route for humanitarian teams and for trucks delivering food, fuel and other essential supplies to Gaza, a territory suffering chronic electricity shortages and severe humanitarian needs. For many years it also served as the main authorised exit for Palestinians leaving the enclave, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Between 2005 and 2007 Rafah was the first Palestinian‑controlled terminal under the Palestinian Authority; after Hamas took control of Gaza it became identified with Hamas governance of the territory.

2. Under Israeli control

On 7 May 2024, Israel's military took control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, saying it had evidence the terminal was being "used for terrorist purposes" amid allegations of arms smuggling. Since that takeover many access points have remained largely closed, including those normally used by UN agencies. Rafah did reopen briefly during a short ceasefire starting on 19 January, first to allow authorised people to leave Gaza and later to permit some trucks to cross.

3. Reopening prospects

Officials have repeatedly discussed reopening Rafah, and some statements announced imminent openings that were later denied or delayed. At times, Israeli authorities have tied any reopening to security conditions — including the return of hostage remains — and to coordination with Egypt. Israel's COGAT agency has said the crossing could operate under supervision from the EU Border Assistance Mission, similar to a mechanism used in January 2025, but concrete implementation has been repeatedly postponed.

4. How aid moves: Kerem Shalom

Most international aid for Gaza is shipped into Egypt through ports such as Port Said or El‑Arish. According to drivers and aid operators, after passing the Egyptian side at Rafah, trucks are typically directed a few kilometres to the Israeli‑controlled Kerem Shalom crossing. There, vehicles are offloaded for inspection; authorised goods are then transferred onto other trucks cleared to enter Gaza. This added handling slows deliveries and reduces daily throughput.

5. Other crossings and capacity

The ceasefire agreement that underpins the reopening plans includes a target of up to 600 aid trucks per day through Rafah. In practice, Israel has been allowing smaller volumes of humanitarian cargo: about three‑quarters currently passes through Kerem Shalom and the remainder through Kissufim, according to UN figures. The Erez (Beit Hanoun) crossing between Gaza and southern Israel was destroyed during the 7 October 2023 attacks and, although it briefly reopened in early 2025, it is now closed with no announced reopening date. Other entry points have been used in the past, but Israeli authorities have not confirmed plans for their wider return to service.

Bottom line: Rafah remains a critical bottleneck. Its full reopening would significantly increase humanitarian access, but political, security and coordination challenges involving Israel, Egypt, international monitors and Palestinian authorities continue to delay a durable solution.