In accordance with the ceasefire agreement, Israel will reopen the Rafah Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for pedestrian traffic in both directions on Sunday, according to the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT).

“Exit from and entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah Crossing will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission, similar to the mechanism implemented in January 2025,” COGAT said in a statement.

COGAT clarified that only Gazans who left the Strip during the war will be allowed to return from Egypt, and only after receiving Israeli security clearance.

“The return of residents from Egypt to the Gaza Strip will be permitted, in coordination with Egypt, for residents who left Gaza during the course of the war only, and only after prior security clearance by Israel,” the statement said. It added that “in addition to initial identification and screening at the Rafah Crossing by the European Union mission, an additional screening and identification process will be conducted at a designated corridor, operated by the defense establishment in an area under IDF control.”

According to COGAT data, approximately 42,000 Gazans left the Strip during the war, most of them patients seeking medical treatment abroad or individuals holding dual citizenship.

A team of Palestinian Authority representatives, along with European Union monitors stationed at the crossing, will be responsible for conducting security screenings for those leaving Gaza.

Israel will supervise departures to Egypt remotely. From a control room, Israeli officers will use facial recognition technology to verify that individuals are on the approved list before opening the gate at the crossing.

However, those entering Gaza from Egypt will undergo a direct Israeli security screening after arriving at an IDF checkpoint beyond the crossing. Only after completing this process will they be permitted to proceed into Hamas-controlled areas of the Gaza Strip.

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