Tel Aviv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Israeli authorities stated on Thursday that the specific date for reopening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has not yet been announced, and aid will not be transported through the border.
Israel’s military aid agency COGAT announced that preparations are underway with Egypt to open the significant Rafah border crossing with Gaza for passenger movement, with the specific date to be announced later.
Why has Israel delayed the reopening of the Rafah Crossing?
Israel previously warned it might keep Rafah closed and cut aid to the Palestinian enclave because Hamas was slow in returning the bodies of dead hostages.
COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for managing aid into Gaza, reported that humanitarian supplies continued to enter the region through the Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel and other crossing points.
“It should be emphasised that humanitarian aid will not pass through the Rafah crossing. This was never agreed upon at any stage,”
COGAT added in a statement.
How are aid agencies responding to Israel’s restrictions on aid?
Meanwhile, aid agencies and the United Nations are urging Israel to increase the number of crossings into Gaza, enabling “thousands of trucks” to enter the severely affected territory each day.
Humanitarian officials are also urging for additional entry points to be opened, including a crossing to northern Gaza. This would enable essential supplies to reach hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have recently travelled across the territory to reach their damaged homes.
How often has the Rafah crossing faced repeated closures or shutdowns?
For security reasons, Israel has periodically shut down the Rafah crossing, including a couple of particularly significant occurrences. The crossing was essentially shut down in October 2023 at the outset of the Gaza war.
On March 17, 2025, Israel closed the Rafah crossing, preventing injured Palestinians to not leaving Gaza for medical assistance outside the territory. Most recently, the authorities of Israel announced on October 14, 2025, that the Rafah border crossing would remain shut down due to new restrictions against Gaza or ongoing tensions and indicated it would remain shut down at least until October 15, 2025.
