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The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo has announced that the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will reopen on Monday to allow Palestinians who wish to return home to cross back into Gaza, according to Anadolu.
In a statement issued on Saturday, October 18, the embassy said, “The Rafah border crossing will open starting Monday to enable Palestinians residing in Egypt who wish to return to Gaza to travel, according to the established coordination mechanism.”
The embassy urged Palestinians currently in Egypt to register their details through the designated online application.
Registered individuals will later receive information regarding their travel dates and assembly points before proceeding to the Rafah crossing. No additional details were provided.
The Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only outlet not under Israeli control prior to the outbreak of war in October 2023, has remained closed to Palestinians since May 2024 following restrictions imposed by the Israeli army.
Meanwhile, under the recent ceasefire deal, Hamas released 20 Israeli hostages and handed over the remains of 11 others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
The agreement, reached last week between Israel and Hamas, was based on a plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Its first phase involved the exchange of hostages and prisoners, while later stages include plans for Gaza’s reconstruction and the formation of a new administrative framework excluding Hamas.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the ongoing Israeli offensive since October 2023 has claimed the lives of 68,116 Palestinians and injured 170,200 others.
