Rafah Border Crossing

The Rafah Border Crossing () or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip.

The Rafah crossing was opened by Israel after the 1979 peace treaty and remained under Israeli control until 2005, when it was transferred to Egyptian, Palestinian Authority, and EU control, giving Palestinians partial control of an international border for the first time. In 2007, after Hamas seized Gaza, the EU withdrew, and Israel imposed a complete blockade, effectively sealing Gaza. In the same year, Egypt closed the Rafah crossing. Since then, the Rafah crossing has only opened intermittently for Palestinian movement.

Under a 2007 agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt controls the crossing but imports through the Rafah crossing require Israeli approval.
Israel took control of the Rafah Border Crossing on May 7, 2024, during Gaza war and withdrew in Jan 2025 as part of ceasefire agreement.

Rafah Land Port

The ''Rafah land port'', known as the "Salah al Din Gate" is located at the original Rafah crossing on the Salah al-Din Road, the main highway of Gaza from Erez to Rafah.

Before Israel’s disengagement from Gaza on 11 September 2005, the main border crossing at Rafah between Egypt and Gaza was controlled by Israeli authorities. Under the November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, administration was handed over to the Palestinian Authority, monitored by the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM Rafah). Rafah land port was bombed by Israel in October 2009 allegedly to destroy tunnels.

A new Rafah Crossing Point , sometimes referred to in Arabic as “Al Awda” (“The Return”), was constructed south of the town of Rafah. Separately, a commercial gate—known as the “Salah al-Din Gate”—was first opened in 2018 along Salah al-Din Road and is used for truck traffic between Egypt and Gaza.Israel to open Kerem Shalom Crossing for Gaza aid inspections for first time since war started
Jacob Magid for ''Times of Israel''. Posted and accessed 7 Dec 2023.New Gaza Crossing Raises Questions About Blockade Policies
Neri Zilber for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 23 Oct 2019. Accessed 7 Dec 2023.

History

1906 Ottoman-British border agreement

By the Ottoman–British agreement of 1 October 1906, a border between Ottoman-ruled Palestine and British-ruled Egypt, from Taba to Rafah, was agreed upon.''The Evolution of the Egypt-Israel Boundary: From Colonial Foundations to Peaceful Borders''
pp. 3, 9, 18. Nurit Kliot, Boundary and Territory Briefing, Volume 1 Number 8
Also part. at Google books
/ref>

1948–1979: Egypt and Israel at war

From 1948, Gaza was occupied by Egypt. Consequently, a Gaza–Egypt border no longer existed. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel conquered both the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, both becoming occupied territories.

1982–2005: Israel-Egypt border at Rafah

In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty that eventually returned the Sinai, which borders the Gaza Strip, to Egyptian control. As part of that treaty, a 100-meter-wide strip of land known as the Philadelphi Corridor was established as a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt.''Gaza: The Basics. Some history and background on the Gaza Strip''
Nina Rastogi, Slate, 25 January 2008 In the Peace Treaty, the re-created Gaza–Egypt border was drawn across the city of Rafah. When Israel withdrew from the Sinai in 1982, Rafah was divided into an Egyptian and a Palestinian part, splitting up families, separated by barbed-wire barriers.

2005: Israel disengages; Egypt-Palestinian border

On 16 February 2005, the Israeli parliament approved the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Israel withdrew from Gaza in September 2005. Egypt continued to exercise control on the Egyptian side of the Gaza–Egypt border, while the Fatah-dominated Palestinian National Authority took over control on the Gazan side of the Border Crossing.

On 7 September 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza and closed the Rafah crossing.Landmark day on Gaza-Egypt border
BBC, 26 November 2005 The Philadelphi Accord between Israel and Egypt, based on the principles of the 1979 peace treaty, turned over border control to Egypt, while the supply of arms to the Palestinian Authority was subject to Israeli consent. The agreement specified that 750 Egyptian border guards would be deployed along the length of the border, and both Egypt and Israel pledged to work together to stem terrorism, arms smuggling, and other illegal cross-border activities.

2005 Agreement on Movement and Access

Under the ''Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing'', part of the Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA) of 15 November 2005, EUBAM was responsible for monitoring the Border Crossing. The agreement ensured Israel authority to dispute entrance by any person.''Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing''
. 15 November 2005.
″The PA will notify the GoI 48 hours in advance of the crossing of a person in the excepted categories...The GoI will respond within 24 hours with any objections and will include the reasons for the objections;...On a case-by-case basis, the PA will consider information on persons of concern provided by the GoI. The PA will consult with the GoI and the 3rd party prior to the PA making a decision to prohibit travel or not.″
″Rafah will also be used for export of goods to Egypt.″

The Agreed Principles for Rafah stipulate that "Rafah will also be used for export of goods to Egypt". A confidential PLO document reveals that in fact Egypt under President Hosni Mubarak did not allow exports.''Agreement on Movement and Access (AMA)–Background & update''
April 2007; pp. 4-5, . Document by PLO's NSU from the ''Palestine Papers''

/ref> The Palestinians agreed that all imports of goods are diverted to the Kerem Shalom border crossing, because Israel threatened to exclude Gaza from the customs union out of concern about the implementation of the Paris Protocol. On the other hand, the Palestinians agreed because they wanted to limit Israeli interference at Rafah and maximize their sovereignty. Diversion via Kerem was meant as a temporary measure but in fact, imports through Rafah were never realized, forcing the Palestinians to develop a smuggling tunnels economy. Israel had consistently tried to turn the Kerem Shalom border crossing (which borders Egypt) into a commercial crossing between Gaza and Israel, or as an alternative passenger crossing to Rafah. The Palestinians were concerned that Israel would take control over the Gaza-Egypt border or even replace Rafah and objected.

On 26 November 2005, the crossing was opened for the first time under the European Union's supervision, while the Israeli army kept a video watch from a nearby base and retained control over the movement of all goods and trade in and out of Gaza.

From 2018 onward, goods regularly entered Gaza from Egypt via the Rafah crossing.Movement in and out of Gaza: update covering October 2022
United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. In October 2022, about 49% of goods entering Gaza entered from Egypt via Rafa, while the other 51% of goods enter Gaza via Israel. About three-quarters of goods imported via Rafah consisted of construction materials, while much of the remaining one-quarter was food.

During the Gaza war, Israel bombed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing. Egypt subsequently demanded assurances that Israel will not attack aid convoys.

Statistics

After the Israeli disengagement in 2005, the monthly average number of entries and exits through Rafah Crossing reached about 40,000. After the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in June 2006, the crossing was closed 76% of the time and after Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip it was closed permanently except for infrequent limited openings by Egypt.

From June 2010 to January 2011, the monthly average number of exits and entries through Rafah reached 19,000. After May 2011, when Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak was replaced with Mohamed Morsi, the number grew to 40,000 per month. When Morsi was deposed by the army in July 2013, the Crossing was again almost completely shut down.

In August 2014, for the first time since the start of the Gaza blockade in 2007 Egypt allowed the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to bring food through the Rafah crossing. It provided food to feed around 150,000 people for 5 days. In 2014, an average of 8,119 exits and entries of people were recorded at the crossing monthly. In September 2015, it was circa 3,300, while the Gaza population numbered 1.8 million people.''Movement of people via Rafah Crossing''
Gisha, accessed October 2015 Between 24 October 2014 and September 2015, the crossing had been opened for only 34 days.

Closures of the border

2005 to 2007

From November 2005 to July 2007, the Rafah Crossing was jointly controlled by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, with the European Union monitoring Palestinian compliance on the Gaza side.''FAQs''
. EU BAM Rafah. Accessed September 2015 The Crossing operated daily until June 2006. Israel issued security warnings, thus preventing European monitors from travelling to the terminal. The Hamas-led PA Government threatened on 23 June to terminate the ''Rafah border-crossing agreement'' if the border would not be reopened. On 25 June 2006, terrorists attacked the Kerem Shalom Crossing Point and captured the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The Crossing was infrequently reopened after this attack.

On 12 February 2007, PLO Negotiatior Saeb Erekat complained in a letter to the Israeli Government and the Head of the EU Mission about Israel, closing the Rafah Crossing Point (RCP) on most days by indirect measures, such as "preventing access by the EU BAM to the RCP through Kerem Shalom".''February 12, 2007 - Erekat Letter to Pistolese and Dangot Re: Rafah Crossings''
Letter from Saeb Erekat to GoI and EU BAM Rafah, 12 February 2007

/ref> A 2007 Palestinian background paper mentions the EU concern over crises, "most often caused by the continual Israeli closure of the Crossing". On 7 May 2007, the issue of the Israeli closure of Rafah and Kerem as well was raised at a Coordination and Evaluation meeting. The movement of ambulances via Rafah was prohibited. The EU BAM proposed the use of "shuttle" ambulances at the Crossing, requiring two additional transfers of the patients between the ambulances.

In June 2007, the Rafah Crossing was closed by the Egyptian authorities after Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip. Due to the lack of security the EU monitors pulled out of the region, and Egypt agreed with Israel to shut down the Rafah Crossing. The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has declared that the Rafah Crossing should remain closed until the control by the Palestinian Presidential Guard is restored.

2007 to 2010

On 22 January 2008, after Israel imposed a total closure on all crossings to the Gaza Strip, a group of Hamas demonstrators attempted to force open the door of the Rafah Crossing. They were beaten back by Egyptian police and gunfire erupted. That same night, Hamas demolished a length of the metal border wall with explosives. After the resulting Breach of the Gaza-Egypt border, many thousands of Palestinians, with estimates ranging from 200,000 to 700,000, crossed into Egypt to buy goods. Palestinians were seen purchasing food, fuel, cigarettes, shoes, furniture, car parts, and generators. On 3 February 2008, the border was closed again by Egypt, except for travelers returning home.

On 27 June 2009, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh proposed a joint Palestinian, Egyptian and European mechanism to keep the Rafah border crossing working permanently. He said: "We welcome the presence of European inspectors, the Egyptians and the Palestinian Presidential Guard in addition to the presence of the (Hamas) government in Gaza".

According to a 2009 report of Gisha, Israel continued to exercise control over the border through its control of the Palestinian population registry, which determines who is allowed to go through Rafah Crossing. It also had the power to use its right to veto the passage of foreigners, even when belonging to the list of categories of foreigners allowed to cross, and to decide to close the crossing indefinitely.
''Rafah Crossing: Who Holds the Keys?''
pp. 23-25, 136, 143-, 160-, 167-, 170- 174-. Noga Kadman, Gisha, March 2009
Here available
/ref>

Gisha has blamed Israel for keeping the Rafah Crossing closed through indirect means and Egypt for submitting to Israeli pressure and not cooperate with the Hamas government. Hamas, however was blamed for not allowing the Presidential Guard to apply the AMA agreement. The Palestinian Authority was blamed for its refusal to compromise with Hamas over control of Rafah Crossing. The EU monitoring force was criticized for its submission to Israel's demands for closing the border, without calling for re-opening. The US was criticized for allowing human rights violations caused by the closure and avoiding pressure on Egypt.

2011 to 2013

The Egyptian government under former President Mubarak had opposed the Hamas administration in Gaza and helped Israel to enforce the blockade.''Gaza-Egypt border crossing to open permanently''
BBC, 29 April 2011 Due to the 2011 Egyptian revolution, Mubarak was forced to step down in February 2011. On 27 April, Fatah and Hamas reached an agreement in Cairo, mediated by Egypt and on 29 April, Egypt announced that the border crossing would be opened on a permanent basis. Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshal signed the Cairo agreement on 4 May 2011 and on 28 May, the crossing was re-opened. Most travel restrictions were dropped, though men between the ages of 18 and 40 entering Egypt must apply for visas and others need travel permits.''PA Consent on Opening Gaza Crossing Led to Hamas Reconciliation''
Jack Khoury, Haaretz, 26 May 2011 Soon after the revolution, Egypt's foreign minister, Nabil el-Araby, opened discussions with Hamas aimed at easing the travel restrictions and improving relations between the two. Even though passenger restrictions were loosened, the shipment into Gaza of goods remains blocked. In the first five hours after the opening, 340 people crossed into Egypt. Under the Mubarak regime, Egypt vehemently opposed using Hamas guards at Rafah and demanded that the crossing point remain closed until Palestinian Authority personnel were deployed, but now, the crossing would be operated and guarded by Hamas policemen.

In mid-June 2011 the crossing was closed for several days and after that only a few hundred were allowed to cross each day compared with 'thousands' who applied to cross each day. Egypt reportedly agreed to allow a minimum of 500 people to cross each day.

In July 2013, in the aftermath of the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi. It was later reopened for four hours each day. After widespread unrest in Egypt and the bloody crackdown on loyalists of ousted President Morsi on 14 August, the border crossing was closed 'indefinitely'. Afterwards, it has been opened for a few days every few months.''Egypt won't open Rafah crossing if Hamas controls it''
Dia Khalil, al-Araby, 6 March 2015

2013 to 2020

After the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflict, Egypt declared that it was prepared to train forces from the Presidential Guard to man the Rafah Crossing and deploy along the border. Once the forces were ready, Egypt would then open the crossing to full capacity. Egypt mediated a permanent truce between Israel and Hamas, and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri said that Egypt hoped that this would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. Palestinian factions in Gaza, including Hamas, publicly declared their acceptance of the return of the Presidential Guard and the EU border mission.

On 22 January 2015, Egypt closed the border crossing.''Can Gaza's Islamic Jihad ease tensions with Egypt?''
Asmaa al-Ghoul, Al-Monitor, 16 March 2015 In March, it declared that it would only open the border crossing if the Palestinian side is staffed by Palestinian Authority employees under the full authority of the Presidential Guard and no Hamas personnel are present. Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) suggested to Egyptian intelligence that PA and Hamas would open the Rafah Crossing under the supervision and in the presence of the PA and the Presidential Guard. Egyptian intelligence and Hamas appeared to agree, but the PA did not respond.''Deal to open Rafah crossing ′close′''
Ma'an News Agency, 7 March 2015 Hamas accused Fatah and the PA that they “want to exclude it from political and field landscape by their insisting on the PA monopoly in controlling the crossings and borders”. Hamas had agreed to let the Presidential Guard to take charge, as part of a comprehensive plan to merge employees from West Bank and Gaza Strip. Some Hamas followers voiced annoyance about the PIJ initiative, bypassing Hamas, while Egypt did not regard it a terrorist organization unlike Hamas.

However, Egypt still has occasionally allowed supplies to cross into Gaza via the Rafah Crossing, such as diesel fuel for Gaza's power plant in 2017 and gas in 2018.

In May 2018, Egyptian authorities opened the crossing, permitting a couple hundred Gazans per day to cross into Egypt. As of July 2019, tens of thousands have reportedly done so, departing to destinations in the Arab world or Turkey, and some seeking refuge in Europe (particularly Belgium and Norway).

In March 2020, Palestinian authorities closed the crossing to limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 to the Gaza Strip.

In early November 2020, Egyptian authorities closed the crossing to vehicles and commodities after monitoring violations by Hamas.

2021 to present

In February 2021, Egypt opened the crossing "indefinitely" for the first time in years in what was described as an effort to encourage negotiations between Palestinian factions meeting at the time in Cairo. The crossing was kept open during and after the 11-day Israel-Hamas conflict in May, delivering aid and construction materials. Egypt closed the crossing on 23 August 2021 following an escalation of cross-border incidents between Israel and Hamas, but partially reopened the crossing three days later, allowing traffic from Egypt to Gaza (but not vice versa).

In October 2023 with the start of the Gaza war, the crossing was again effectively sealed. Various sources reported that for several weeks, the Egyptian government had refused to allow either Gazans or foreign nationals to exit Gaza via the Rafah crossing,Nadeen Ebrahim
The last remaining exit for Gazans is through Egypt. Here's why Cairo is reluctant to open it
CNN (October 15, 2023). despite intensive international efforts to secure a window of time for the Rafah crossing to open to foreigners who want to exit the Strip.Anna Betts

''New York Times'' (October 14, 2023).Humeyra Pamuk
US advises its citizens in Gaza to move closer to Egypt's Rafah crossing
Reuters (October 14, 2023). However, the Egyptian government, maintains that it has always kept the Rafah Border Crossing open for humanitarian aid coming in and foreign nationals coming out during the Israel–Hamas war, instead blaming four consecutive Israeli air strikes on the Gazan side for keeping the border crossing closed. On 21 October, the border opened for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. On 1 November, a limited number of foreign nationals and wounded began being allowed to use the crossing to exit Gaza.

The crossing was seized by Israel in 2024 during the Rafah offensive. In response Egypt closed off the crossing and rejected an Israeli proposal to coordinate the reopening of the Rafah border crossing insisting that the crossing should be managed only by Palestinian authorities.

See also

* Gaza–Israel barrier
* Philadelphi Corridor
* Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels
* Kerem Shalom border crossing
* Egypt–Palestine relations

References

External links

''Movement of people via Rafah Crossing''
Statistics from Gisha
''Gaza tourism companies call on Sisi to open Rafah crossing''
. MEMO, 29 February 2016

{{Israeli border crossings

Egypt–Gaza Strip border crossings
Buildings and structures in Rafah
Rafah, Egypt
Border crossings of divided cities
Rafah in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict