Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Disagreements between Egypt and Israel continue to delay the full reopening of the Rafah border crossing, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza await the entry of humanitarian aid and the evacuation of wounded civilians for medical treatment abroad.
According to Israeli sources cited by Israel’s public broadcaster, there are ongoing disputes between Cairo and Tel Aviv over the number of people expected to enter and exit Gaza through Rafah once the crossing is reopened in both directions. The sources said Israel is pushing for a higher number of departures than arrivals, while Egypt insists on maintaining equal numbers in both directions.
Egyptian officials, the sources added, are concerned that allowing significantly more people to leave than enter could amount to a quiet attempt to encourage the displacement of Gaza’s population, a scenario Cairo has repeatedly rejected.
Efforts are reportedly underway to resolve the disagreements, though uncertainty remains over the timing of the crossing’s reopening. Some Israeli assessments suggest Rafah could open as early as Sunday, while others indicate the process may be delayed until later in the week.
The Rafah crossing represents Gaza’s only gateway to the outside world not directly controlled by Israel, making its operation a critical issue amid the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, exhausted by nearly two years of Israeli military operations, have faced severe restrictions on movement, alongside extensive monitoring of their communications and online activity.
Gaza’s population of nearly two million people has been confined to a narrow coastal strip following Israeli troop withdrawals under the first phase of a ceasefire agreement. The truce was brokered with international mediation and aimed to reduce hostilities while facilitating humanitarian relief.
Under a proposed second phase of the plan put forward by US President Donald Trump, reconstruction efforts were set to begin in southern Gaza, particularly in Rafah, alongside provisions calling for Hamas to relinquish its weapons in exchange for a further Israeli military withdrawal from the territory.
However, with disagreements over Rafah still unresolved, the future of cross-border movement remains uncertain, deepening concerns that political disputes may continue to obstruct urgently needed humanitarian access for Gaza’s civilian population.
