Gaza's Rafah crossing reopens with heavy Israeli restrictions and monitoring

The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has reopened for the first time in nearly two years, but under heavy Israeli restrictions and monitoring. Part of a US-brokered ceasefire deal, the new arrangement permits only 150 Palestinians to leave and 50 to enter daily, with all travelers requiring prior security approval from both Egypt and Israel. While a European Union team will manage the crossing point, Israeli forces will monitor departures with facial recognition and physically search those returning. The limited capacity poses a significant challenge for the estimated 22,000 wounded and sick Palestinians awaiting urgent medical evacuation from the territory.