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For the first time since the IDF took control of the Rafah border crossing in May, 50 sick and injured Gazans, along with 61 accompanying individuals, exited the Gaza Strip into Egypt on Saturday.
The crossing, known as Gaza’s gateway to the world, reopened as part of the cease-fire and hostage exchange deal.
Under the terms of the agreement, 200 people are expected to leave Gaza daily, including 50 individuals requiring medical treatment and up to three escorts per patient. While most of those evacuated on Saturday were children, Hamas had also arranged for wounded members of its ranks and their families to be among the evacuees.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office (PMO) said that Israel retained full oversight of border crossings and the authority to block them if necessary. Netanyahu had previously insisted on maintaining IDF control over the crossing to prevent Hamas from rearming.
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A child in Gaza taken into an ambulance before crossing the Rafah border into Egypt for medical care
(Photo: Jehad Alshrafi / AP)
Before the war, Hamas smuggled weapons through Rafah, and after the October 7 massacre, humanitarian aid continued to flow into Gaza via the crossing. Under the current deal, Israeli troops are not stationed at the Rafah crossing itself but remain positioned along the Philadelphi Corridor.
Despite Netanyahu's pledge that the Palestinian Authority (PA) would have no role at the crossing, PA officials were present to facilitate operations. The PMO clarified that their involvement was "limited to stamping passports, in keeping with the existing international order."