PARIS, February 4, 2026 (WAFA) – France commended the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza for people in both directions, which allowed for the evacuation of urgent medical cases. It also commended the redeployment of the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) and Palestinian Authority (PA) staff to Rafah, who should be able to fully carry out their duties at the crossing in accordance with previously agreed-upon terms.

France stated that the reopening of the crossing is an important first step in implementing the second phase of the ceasefire plan in the Gaza Strip. It stressed that all efforts must be focused on delivering massive quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without hindrance through all crossings, rebuilding the Strip, and reviving the political process to enable the establishment of a lasting peace.

France called on all parties to respect their commitments in this regard and condemned the ceasefire violations recorded in the Gaza Strip in recent days, including the Israeli bombardment on January 31, which resulted in heavy civilian casualties.

It affirmed its continued efforts to contribute to the implementation of the next phases of the peace plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, in cooperation with its partners. France also noted that it had deployed six members of the French National Gendarmerie to participate in the European Union Border Assistance Mission in Rafah (EUBAM), which aims to secure the border crossing and support the return of the Palestinian Authority to oversee crossings in Rafah. France expressed its readiness to increase its contribution by sending additional personnel.

On Wednesday, Israeli authorities prevented patients and wounded individuals from traveling through the Rafah crossing, after informing the World Health Organization that the coordination for the departure of the third group scheduled to leave for medical treatment had been canceled.

K.T