Rajab: Relevant authorities are ready to operate Rafah crossing according to 2005 agreement

SadaNews - The spokesperson for the Palestinian security forces, Anwar Rajab, announced today (Tuesday) that the Palestinian side is ready to receive and operate the Rafah crossing as soon as the decision to open it is issued, in accordance with the 2005 crossing agreement and the presence of the European monitoring mission.

Rajab told the China News Agency (Xinhua) that "the Palestinian police and relevant authorities are fully prepared to operate the crossing according to the agreement signed in 2005, with the presence of the European mission," noting that the opening of the crossing "is still awaiting the Israeli decision and the necessary arrangements for technical procedures."

Rajab denied reports that spoke about the opening of the crossing today.

In Gaza, the director of the NGO network, Amjad Al-Shawa, stated that there are "practical arrangements to prepare lists of travelers, especially patients and injured individuals," expecting that most of those departing when the crossing opens will be medical cases.

He added that Israel "will impose strict measures on those returning to the sector."

For its part, Israeli Hebrew radio mentioned that the crossing is likely to open partially next Sunday for operational and technical purposes, without allowing actual movement of individuals, and that limited passage would begin later, including about 150 patients and injured individuals for treatment in Egypt.

According to the radio, about 84,000 Palestinians from Gaza are currently in Egypt, awaiting the opening of the crossing to return to the sector.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday that Israel agreed to open the Rafah crossing "in a limited manner for the passage of individuals only," within the framework of a "comprehensive Israeli monitoring mechanism," indicating that the decision was made as part of President Donald Trump's plan.

Yesterday, the Israeli army announced the recovery of the remains of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, Sergeant Ron Gvirly (24 years old), who was killed in the attack on October 7, 2023, and his body was transferred to the sector.

Israel announced the completion of the recovery of all hostages, whether alive or dead, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement which came into effect in October 2025 mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.

Last week, the head of the National Committee for Gaza Management, Ali Shath, announced that the Rafah crossing would open "starting from next week" as part of efforts to facilitate travel movement.

The Rafah crossing is the main land outlet for the residents of the Gaza Strip to Egypt and the outside world, and it has not been opened to civilians since Israel took control of it in May 2024 following the attack on the city of Rafah.

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has repeatedly called for the opening of the crossing as one of the entitlements of the existing ceasefire agreement since last October, which included the exchange of prisoners, the flow of humanitarian aid, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces.

The second phase of the agreement stipulates a complete Israeli withdrawal from the sector, the commencement of reconstruction, and the establishment of a transitional governing body in Gaza.