Rafah crossing to reopen as Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal takes effect

The Rafah crossing will reopen to allow passage between Gaza and Egypt following Israel and Hamas’s agreement to a peace deal and the first phase of a ceasefire.

A European Union Border Assistance Missions (EUBAM) monitoring mission will resume its duties, according to a statement from Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Friday. The crossing will reopen on Tuesday.

“On Sunday, October 12, the operations for the release of Israeli hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners will begin,” Crosetto said, according to a translation. “The Israelis are working to restore the logistical functionality of the crossing’s infrastructure as quickly as possible.”

Approximately 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid “will flow in from other (non-Rafah) crossings” per day, Crosetto added. He also authorized the continuation of Italian operations as part of the EUBAM mission, according to the statement.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

Israel took over Rafah in May 2024, preceded by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordering 100,000 Palestinians in eastern Rafah to “evacuate immediately,” followed by “targeted strikes” hours later. At that point in the war, Rafah was the last crossing for humanitarian aid into Gaza.

On Friday, tens of thousands of Palestinians returned to the northern area of the territory following the ceasefire agreement and withdrawal of Israeli troops.

As part of the ceasefire deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said his cabinet approved the release of about 2,000 Palestinians in Israeli custody in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.

United Nations officials said they required Israel to open more crossings in order for humanitarian aid to go into the war-ravaged territory. Humanitarians partners have started to deploy ambulances, fuel, medical items and other critical items through the Kerem Shalom crossing, Stephane Dujarric, a U.N. spokesperson, told The Associated Press.

President Trump is expected to travel to Israel and Egypt starting on Sunday to oversee the peace deal.

While the ceasefire has been in effect, Israel conducted airstrikes on the Lebanese village of Msayleh, with one person reportedly killed. The airstrikes also destroyed a highway that connects Beirut with parts of southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, according to the AP. 

The IDF targeted a “Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure” in southern Lebanon, according to a statement shared on the social media site X.