Israel has reopened the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, but only for pedestrians - a move that would allow Palestinians to leave the enclave and return those who fled Israel's war in Gaza, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The opening of the Rafah border crossing will be limited, with Israel insisting Palestinians must undergo security checks on entry and exit. Israel and Egypt are also expected to impose a cap on the number of people who can cross the crossing daily.
Israel has taken control of the Rafah border crossing in May 2024, about nine months after the start of the Gaza war. The fighting has been suspended for now following a ceasefire that came into effect in October and was brokered by US President Donald Trump.
The reopening of Rafah was a key element of the first phase of Trump's deal to halt fighting between Israel and Hamas militants.
An Israeli security official said European monitoring teams had arrived at the crossing and that it was "now open - both for entry and exit."
In the first nine months of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack against southern Israel on October 7, 2023, Palestinians were generally able to flee to Egypt through the "Rafah" crossing.
Palestinian officials say that since the war began, about 100,000 Palestinians have left Gaza, most of them in the first nine months. Some were helped by aid agencies, while others paid bribes to intermediaries in Egypt to obtain permission to leave.
Israel closed the "Rafah" crossing after its forces entered the area. The closure cut off a vital corridor for wounded and sick Palestinians seeking medical care outside Gaza. Over the past year, several thousand people have been prevented from leaving for third countries through Israel for treatment, but the United Nations says there are still thousands of people in the Palestinian enclave in need of treatment abroad.
Despite the reopening of "Rafah" Israel continues to deny foreign journalists access to the enclave. The restriction has been in place since the start of the Gaza war.