The EU restarts the monitoring of the key edge crossing that has been closed to people since May 2024 amid the Israel War in Gaza.
The European Union has restarted its civil mission to monitor the border crossing in Rafah, since the key transit point between Gaza and Egypt will reopen on Saturday for medical evacuations.
The Gaza Ministry of Health confirmed on Friday that several Palestinians, including injured civilians and Hamas fighters, would enter Egypt on Saturday through the Rafah crossing, which has been closed for human trafficking since May 2024.
Initially it will open for 50 injured combatants and 50 injured civilians, along with the people who escort them, said Hamas officials, adding that another 100 people, most likely students, are allowed to go through the humanitarian land.
People will only be allowed to travel in one direction, from Gaza to Egypt, at the moment, authorities said.
Kaja Kallas, head of foreign policy of the European Union, said Friday that “the EU civil border mission is deployed today at Rafah’s crossing at the request of the Palestinians and Israelis.
“It will support Palestinian border staff and allow the transfer of people outside of Gaza, including those who need medical attention,” in a Publish in x.
Egyptian security sources confirmed that EU team members had reached the facilities.
The cross will now be directed by members of the Palestinian authority (PA) and European monitors, PA and according to Hamas officials.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said that the transport of patients from two hospitals in the north and south of the enclave would be coordinated with the World Health Organization.
In an informative news session in Geneva on Friday, the WHO representative, Rik Peeperkorn, said about 12,000-14,000 patients were waiting to be evacuated from Gaza through Rafah’s crossing.
Yossi Mekelberg, analyst of the group of experts based in the United Kingdom Chatham House, told Al Jazeera that “from the Israeli point of view, the idea of allowing Hamas combatants to obtain medical treatment that, only a few weeks ago, They wouldn’t do it, I would not.
He added that “it is also symbolic that they allow Rafah to open as a crossing to get to Egypt. We are beginning to see some return to normal and some return to common sense between all sides.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of Egyptians attended a demonstration near Rafah on Friday to protest against a plan float by the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to transfer the Palestinians from the territory to Egypt and Jordan, the means of Egyptian communication.
The Al-Qahera TV news linked to the state showed images of hundreds of protesters by stirring Egyptian and Palestinian flags near the border crossing.
Last week, Trump proposed a plan to “clean” the Gaza Strip, and for Jordan and Egypt to go to the Palestinians of the territory devastated by war.
Both states have publicly rejected the idea.
