Rafah Border Crossing Reopens: 40 Gaza Patients Evacuated to Egypt – February 2026

Gaza/Cairo, February 8 – After two days of closure, a group of approximately 40 Gazan patients and their accompanying persons were transferred to the Rafah crossing on Sunday to enter Egypt, diplomatic sources and the Egyptian Red Crescent reported.

According to initial reports, and pending official information regarding individuals entering and exiting Rafah, the crossing remained closed on Friday and Saturday, coinciding with the weekend in Israel, which controls its opening and closure.

The Rafah crossing, located at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, is the sole point of passage connecting the territory to Egypt – all other crossings border Israeli territory. It was reopened by Israel last Monday as part of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States, though access has been limited to individuals only, and in restricted numbers.

Neither Israeli nor Egyptian authorities have released information regarding the individuals crossing the border. Repeated attempts by EFE to obtain data from the Israeli military body responsible for civilian affairs in occupied territories (Cogat), which manages crossings with Gaza, were unsuccessful.

Initial expectations were for 200 people to transit the crossing daily – 50 Gazans entering the Strip, and 150 patients and their companions departing for Egypt. However, the actual numbers of entries and exits have fallen significantly short of this projection. Between Monday and Thursday of last week, approximately 150 people, including patients and their companions, exited Gaza for Egypt, while around 100 entered, according to Egyptian Red Crescent sources.

A diplomat present at the crossing confirmed to EFE that it was indeed closed on Friday and Saturday. Al Qahera News reported that the fifth group of Gazan patients and wounded individuals scheduled to cross into Egypt on Sunday had arrived at the crossing.

The limited reopening of the Rafah crossing, after more than a year of near-total closure, represents a fragile lifeline for the approximately 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, many of whom require urgent medical attention unavailable within the enclave. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has described the situation as one of “massive trepidation,” acknowledging the hope that individuals can finally access medical care while simultaneously expressing “real, real fear for the future.”

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which began last October, remains in effect, but the situation on the ground remains volatile. Reports of violence over the weekend, including the killing of civilians and Israeli airstrikes, underscore the precariousness of the current situation. Sam Rose, Acting Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, told the BBC on Sunday that the positive progress of reopening Rafah is juxtaposed with ongoing violence, noting that 30 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes within the past 24 hours.

The restrictions on movement through Rafah are a source of frustration for international aid organizations. UNRWA and other groups continue to face “major, major constraints” in delivering life-saving assistance, despite the urgent needs of the population. The limited capacity of the crossing hinders the flow of essential medical supplies and personnel into Gaza, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.

The reopening of Rafah, while symbolically important, is widely viewed as insufficient to address the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The limited number of people allowed to cross, coupled with the ongoing restrictions on the entry of goods, raises concerns about the long-term sustainability of the ceasefire and the ability to provide adequate assistance to the population. The UN has repeatedly called for full and unimpeded access to Gaza, including the lifting of restrictions on the movement of people and goods.

The situation at Rafah remains fluid and subject to change, dependent on the evolving security situation and ongoing negotiations between Israel, Egypt, Palestinian authorities, and international mediators. The fate of those waiting to cross – patients in need of life-saving treatment, families separated by conflict – hangs in the balance.

The limited reopening also comes after a tragic incident earlier this week, where a three-year-old Palestinian child was killed in an Israeli naval strike on tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis, according to hospital authorities. This underscores the continued vulnerability of civilians in Gaza, even during periods of relative calm.