Rafah border reopens for limited crossings between Gaza and Egypt
Israeli troops seized and closed the Rafah crossing in May 2024, calling it part of efforts to combat weapons smuggling by Hamas
Israel has reopened the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt for limited crossings after nearly two years of closure.
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Reopening the border crossing is a key step as the Israel-Hamas ceasefire moves ahead.
An Egyptian official said 50 Palestinians will cross in each direction on the first day of its opening - which comes following an initial test run.
The travel in either direction will be limited and no goods will be allowed to pass through.
Around 20,000 Palestinian children and adults in need of medical attention plan to leave Gaza via the crossing, Gazan health officials say.
Palestinian security officers passed through the crossing's Egyptian gate on Sunday and headed towards the Palestinian gate to join an EU mission that will be supervising exit and entry, an Egyptian official said.
Ambulances and humanitarian aid trucks also crossed through the gate.
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Rafah, which Palestinians see as their gateway to the world, has been largely shut since it was seized by Israel in May 2024.
Zaher al-Wahidi, head of the Health Ministry's documentation department in Gaza, said the ministry has not yet been notified about the start of medical evacuations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will allow 50 patients a day to leave.
An official involved in the discussions said each patient would be allowed to travel with two relatives, while some 50 people who left Gaza during the war would be allowed to return each day.
Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry through the crossing, which will be supervised by European Union border patrol agents.
The number of travellers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful.
The crossing was briefly opened for the evacuation of medical patients during a ceasefire in early 2025.
Israel had resisted reopening the Rafah crossing, but the recovery of the remains of the last hostage in Gaza last week cleared the way to move forward.
The reopening is a key step as last year's US-brokered ceasefire agreement, which took effect on October 10, moves into its second phase.
The second phase is more complicated, as it calls for installing a new Palestinian committee to govern Gaza, deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas, and taking steps to begin rebuilding.