Gaza’s Rafah Border Crossing: Why Does It Matter Now for Gazans? | Israel-Hamas War - video Dailymotion

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The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is a vital gateway for humanitarian aid, essential goods, and movement of people in a region under blockade. Despite its crucial role, the crossing has faced closures amid security concerns and political struggles, including control changes and ongoing ceasefire negotiations. &nbsp;

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00:00The reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, part of

00:06US President Donald Trump's truce plan for the Palestinian territory, has long been on

00:12hold despite calls from the UN and aid groups.

00:16In this video, we tell you about the five things to know about this crucial crossing.

00:21The Rafah crossing into Egypt is a crucial entry point for humanitarian workers and for

00:32lorries transporting aid, food and fuel, which is essential for daily life in a territory

00:39deprived of electricity.

00:41For a long time, the crossing was also the main exit point for Palestinians from Gaza,

00:46who were authorized to leave the narrow strip of land under Israeli blockade since 2007.

00:53From 2005 to 2007, it was the first Palestinian border terminal controlled by the Palestinian

01:00authority and later became a symbol of Hamas control over the Gaza Strip after the militant

01:06group seized power.

01:07On May 7th, 2024, the Israeli army took control of the Palestinian side, claiming that the

01:20crossing was being used for terrorist purposes, amid suspicions of arms trafficking.

01:26Many access points have since been mostly closed, including those used by the United Nations.

01:32Rafah briefly reopened during a short ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

01:37That took effect on January 19th, initially allowing the passage of people authorized to

01:43leave Gaza and later access for trucks.

01:51After the new ceasefire spearheaded by Trump took effect on October 10th, Israeli Foreign Minister

01:57Gideon Saar mentioned plans for a reopening.

02:01But the Israeli Prime Minister's office ultimately announced that the crossing would remain closed

02:06until further notice.

02:08Israel said on Wednesday it would open the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt to allow residents

02:15to exit the Palestinian territory in the coming days.

02:19But Egypt denied such a deal.

02:22Israel's Kogat, which is coordinator of government activities in the territories, which oversees civilian

02:29affairs in the Palestinian territories, said that the crossing would operate under the supervision

02:34of the EU's border assistance mission, similar to the mechanism that operated in January 2025.

02:42Trump's plan, which underpins the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, stipulates that the

02:49territory would once again become accessible to international humanitarian aid, and that the Rafah crossing

02:55would open. But since the ceasefire took effect, Israeli authorities have stalled on the matter,

03:02citing Hamas's failure to return the bodies of all hostages and the need for coordination with Egypt.

03:08International aid generally arrives in Egypt via the ports of Port Said, or El Arish, the city closest to

03:21the Gaza Strip. According to drivers' accounts, once through the Rafah checkpoint, the trucks are

03:27directed to the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom, a few kilometers away. There, the drivers disembark

03:34their vehicles for inspection. After strict checks, the goods authorized for entry are unloaded and then

03:40reloaded onto other vehicles authorized to enter Gaza. The agreement brokered by Trump provides for

03:51the entry of 600 trucks per day. For now, Israel is allowing the delivery of humanitarian aid in smaller

03:59quantities, three-quarters of it through Kerem Shalom, and the rest through the Kisafim crossing, according

04:05to the UN. The Erez, or Beit Hanun, crossing between Gaza and southern Israel, was destroyed by Hamas gunmen

04:14during their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Briefly reopened in early 2025, it is currently closed,

04:24with no reopening date set. Other access points have operated in the past, but Israeli authorities

04:31have not communicated on whether they will reopen.

Gaza’s Rafah Border Crossing: Why Does It Matter Now for Gazans? | Israel-Hamas War

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