The head of the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) Ali Shaath yesterday announced that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza will reopen next Monday. In a post on his social media account, Shaath stated he is officially announcing the reopening of the Rafah crossing after the completion of the necessary arrangements between the relevant parties for its operation in both directions, starting next Monday.
He explained that tomorrow will be a trial day for testing the crossing's operational procedures. Earlier yesterday, the Israeli occupation authorities officially announced the partial reopening of the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt next Sunday, provided that travellers and those returning undergo Israeli security checks, after nearly 20 months of complete closure.
They stated that travel from the Gaza Strip will be fully co-ordinated with Egypt and subject to Israeli security approval, and that return to Gaza will be limited to those who left the Strip during the war.
The Israeli occupation army completely closed the Rafah crossing on May 7, 2024, following its invasion and occupation of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.
The army seized control of the only land crossing connecting the Strip to the outside world, before later destroying all its buildings and facilities. Its reopening was one of the provisions of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, but the occupation refused to implement it.
The closure of the Rafah land crossing throughout the past period has posed a major dilemma for residents of the Gaza Strip. It prevented the entry of humanitarian and medical aid during and after the war. According to the ministry of health, its closure resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 patients and wounded individuals who were waiting to travel for treatment outside Gaza.
Meanwhile, approximately 20,000 others are waiting to travel urgently for treatment. The closure has also shattered the dreams and futures of thousands of students who received scholarships to study at Arab and international universities. (QNA)