RAFAH, February 8, 2026 (WAFA) — The Rafah border crossing with Egypt, Gaza’s only gateway to the world, was opened on Sunday morning to allow the departure of patients and humanitarian cases, as well as the return of stranded Palestinians from the Egyptian side.

WAFA correspondent reported that the fifth group of patients and humanitarian cases departed through the crossing after completing medical preparations at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, in the presence of representatives from the World Health Organization, in order to receive treatment at hospitals outside the Gaza Strip.

The correspondent also confirmed the arrival of the fifth group of Palestinians who had been stranded in Egypt to the Egyptian hall of the crossing, in preparation for their entry into the Gaza Strip.

Since the crossing was reopened last Monday, 145 patients and their companions have exited Gaza, while 98 stranded people have returned to the Strip.

The Rafah border crossing has been largely closed to civilian movement since May 2024 when Israeli forces seized control of the site. Before the 2023 war, Rafah was the main exit and entry point for Palestinians traveling to Egypt and beyond.

Under a U.S-brokered ceasefire plan that took effect in late 2025, Israel agreed to a limited reopening of Rafah to facilitate humanitarian movements, including the transfer of medical patients and the return of displaced Palestinians. However, the crossing operates under strict Israeli supervision, even as European Union border patrol monitors and Egyptian authorities are also involved.

M.N