The Rafah border crossing, which connects the southern Gaza Strip and Egypt and had been closed due to the war in the Middle East, will open on the 1st (local time). This marks the first time in about four months since the ceasefire took effect.
According to a report by the Times of Israel on this day, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli Defense Ministry’s civil administration for Palestinian affairs, announced that "limited passage" would begin on both the Gaza and Egyptian sides.
This comes approximately four months after Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire under U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza in October of last year. The trial opening of the crossing is reportedly being carried out in cooperation with the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) and Egypt.
The Rafah crossing is the only route through which Gaza residents can leave for a third country without passing through Israel. Israel has stated that, for now, only residents who left Gaza during the war will be permitted to return from Egypt to Gaza.
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