Shaath: Rafah Crossing will be opened in both directions starting next Monday

SadaNews - Ali Shaath, head of the Gaza Administration Committee, officially announced the opening of the Rafah land crossing in both directions starting next Monday, February 2, 2026, following the completion of necessary arrangements between the relevant parties for the operation of the crossing.

In a statement published via his account on the social media platform "Facebook" on Friday, January 30, 2026, Shaath indicated that Sunday, February 1, would be a trial day for operational mechanisms and technical procedures at the crossing.

This announcement comes at a time when the Israeli occupation forces announced on Friday, January 30, 2026, the partial opening of the Rafah crossing on Sunday after nearly 20 months of closure, conditionally requiring travelers and returnees to undergo Israeli security checks.

According to the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, individual travel from the Gaza Strip will be coordinated fully with the Egyptian side and will have Israeli security approval, while return to the Strip will be limited to those who left during the war, meaning the crossing will not be fully open.

Hebrew Channel "13" reported that those returning to Gaza will be subjected to inspection at an Israeli military point after crossing from the Rafah crossing, while the Israeli Army Radio pointed out that the entry procedures into the Strip will be more complicated, involving a direct Israeli inspection system including metal detectors and facial recognition devices, before allowing passage to areas controlled by Hamas outside what is known as the "yellow line".

Regarding travel from the Strip, the Israeli Army Radio clarified that the approved mechanism stipulates that Palestinians send travel requests to Egypt to obtain its approval, with the names being referred later to the Israeli security agencies. It added that no direct Israeli security inspection will be conducted for travelers from Gaza, as a European Union mission and employees from the Palestinian Authority will undertake the inspection tasks inside the crossing, while "Israel" will monitor the procedures remotely, with the possibility of opening or closing the passage to the Egyptian side if there are security reservations.

Israeli forces had completely closed the Rafah crossing on May 7, 2024, following their occupation of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, which, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, resulted in the deaths of more than a thousand patients, amidst the urgent need for more than 20,000 injured and sick individuals to travel for treatment outside the Strip. The closure also disrupted the education of thousands of students with external scholarships, causing them significant educational losses.