Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Rafah Crossing Reopens for Tightly Limited Medical Evacuations After 19-Day Closure

Movement requires Israeli approval with EU monitors present.

Image
A UN vehicle leads ambulances carrying war-wounded people and patients who leave Gaza, for treatment abroad, through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt after it was opened by Israel on Thursday for a limited number of people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Palestinians sit in a bus as they get ready to leave Gaza through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt after it was opened by Israel on Thursday for a limited number of people, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
Image

Overview

  • Palestinian and Egyptian officials said the crossing opened on March 19 for the first time since late February closures following strikes on Iran.
  • The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that eight wounded Palestinians and 17 companions were allowed into Egypt for treatment.
  • COGAT confirmed the reopening and said travelers entering Gaza would face additional screening inside territory under Israeli military control.
  • Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported the opening followed talks in Cairo between Hamas officials and envoys from President Donald Trump's Board of Peace seeking to reinforce the fragile ceasefire.
  • Local health officials said Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least four people on Thursday, and the Gaza health ministry reports nearly 680 deaths since the October ceasefire.