Israeli forces shut down the crossing in early May after seizing it during an offensive on the southern city, causing Egypt to close its side in protest.
A convoy of trucks was spotted at the Rafah border crossing on Sunday morning as the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel continues to hold.
Palestinian health officials in Gaza reported that the long-closed Rafah crossing with Egypt reopened on Saturday, allowing thousands of Palestinians in urgent need of medical care to leave.
With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners, 37 patients—34 children and three adults—were evacuated from Gaza to Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Saturday, accompanied by 39 relatives. The evacuation means the patients will get to receive specialised medical care that is unavailable in war-wrecked Gaza.
At Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, families prepared for the journey with the assistance of WHO teams. Among them was Al-Ata Al-Najjar, the mother of young Abdul, who suffers from a suspected case of cystic fibrosis and a congenital heart defect.
“I was very happy when I received the call about travelling for treatment. I felt relieved that my child, God willing, will get his treatment,” she said.
The evacuation comes amid urgent calls from the WHO to expedite medical transfers for critically ill patients.
Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the Palestinian territories, stressed the scale of the crisis, estimating that between 12,000 and 14,000 patients in Gaza require urgent evacuation for life-saving treatment. “This is just the start. We need to speed up the pace. What we need are medical corridors now outside Gaza,” he said.
As the convoy reached Rafah, families made their final steps toward the crossing, some in wheelchairs, others clinging to loved ones.
With thousands still in dire need of medical transfers, the WHO continues to urge for accelerated evacuation efforts, warning that many lives remain at risk without immediate intervention.
Israeli forces shut down the crossing in early May after seizing it during an offensive on the southern city, prompting Egypt to close its side in protest.
The reopening marks a key breakthrough in the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month between Israel and Hamas.
Israel agreed to reopen Rafah after Hamas released the last remaining living female hostages in Gaza. It is Gaza’s only border crossing that does not lead into Israel.
Under the six-week first phase of the truce, 33 Israeli hostages held by Hamas and nearly 2,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons are to be released, while displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to northern Gaza, and humanitarian aid will increase to the war-torn enclave.
Next week, Israel and Hamas are set to begin talks on the second phase of the ceasefire, which aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages and extend the truce indefinitely.
If no agreement is reached, the war could resume in early March.
