A tiny window of hope has opened in the Gaza Strip as Israel has permitted a limited number of sick and wounded Palestinians to pass through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt. About 12 Palestinians were allowed to re-enter the territory on Monday, with another 38 waiting on the Egyptian side after failing to clear security checks.
The crossing had been closed for over 20 months since Israeli forces seized it in May 2024, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians without access to medical care. The World Health Organization estimates that around 900 people, including children and cancer patients, have died while awaiting evacuation.
Despite the reopening, many are saying it's too little, too late for some who have been waiting for permission to cross for a liver transplant. Dalia Abu Kashef, 28, died last week while waiting for the crossing to open, leaving her husband and family heartbroken.
The EU's top diplomat has hailed the reopening as a "concrete and positive step in the peace plan," but many Palestinians see it as just one small step towards rebuilding their shattered lives. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza described the move as "the beginning of a long process to reconnect what has been torn apart, and to open a genuine window of hope for our people."
However, life in Gaza remains precarious, with airstrikes and gunfire still ongoing, and storms causing more deaths and flooding in displacement camps. The ceasefire's brittleness was once again laid bare on Saturday, when Israeli airstrikes killed at least 32 people.
Despite the efforts to bring about peace, Israel is still refusing to allow foreign journalists into Gaza, citing security concerns. Reporting from inside Gaza for international media is carried out solely by journalists who live there, hundreds of whom have been killed.
The reopening of Rafah marks a tentative turning point after the fragile ceasefire agreed last October, but it remains to be seen whether this will bring about lasting change or just another pause in the cycle of violence.
The crossing had been closed for over 20 months since Israeli forces seized it in May 2024, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians without access to medical care. The World Health Organization estimates that around 900 people, including children and cancer patients, have died while awaiting evacuation.
Despite the reopening, many are saying it's too little, too late for some who have been waiting for permission to cross for a liver transplant. Dalia Abu Kashef, 28, died last week while waiting for the crossing to open, leaving her husband and family heartbroken.
The EU's top diplomat has hailed the reopening as a "concrete and positive step in the peace plan," but many Palestinians see it as just one small step towards rebuilding their shattered lives. The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza described the move as "the beginning of a long process to reconnect what has been torn apart, and to open a genuine window of hope for our people."
However, life in Gaza remains precarious, with airstrikes and gunfire still ongoing, and storms causing more deaths and flooding in displacement camps. The ceasefire's brittleness was once again laid bare on Saturday, when Israeli airstrikes killed at least 32 people.
Despite the efforts to bring about peace, Israel is still refusing to allow foreign journalists into Gaza, citing security concerns. Reporting from inside Gaza for international media is carried out solely by journalists who live there, hundreds of whom have been killed.
The reopening of Rafah marks a tentative turning point after the fragile ceasefire agreed last October, but it remains to be seen whether this will bring about lasting change or just another pause in the cycle of violence.
I'm so relieved that the Rafah border crossing is finally open, but like, 12 people? That's a drop in the ocean when you think about all those who are still waiting for medical attention 
. I feel bad for Dalia and her family - liver transplant without permission is just heartbreaking 
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. We need to see what's really going on behind those walls.
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I don't know how much hope there is here. The fact that 12 Palestinians got to go back in and 38 are waiting on the other side still feels like a tiny drop in the ocean considering what's been going on over there for so long. It's just not enough, you feel me? These people have been living without access to basic medical care for years and now we're just talking about a trickle of them getting to see doctors? 
We need concrete action, not just a bunch of PR moves to make everyone feel better. I'm all for peace and all that jazz, but we gotta do better than this.
this is such a small window of hope for all those ppl stuck in Gaza 
they deserve so much better than 2nd hand medical care & being treated like animals at borders 
the fact that EU diplomat said it's a step towards peace plan is just face saving for them, coz in reality, its just a small patch on a much bigger hole 
. And can we talk about the EU's "positive step" and how that's gonna fix everything? It feels like they're just waving a red flag to keep people distracted while nothing actually changes 
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. The reopening of Rafah is just a Band-Aid on a bullet wound 
, and I'm not holding my breath for any real progress here...
its so not fair. anyway i heard the eu guy is saying itz a positive step but from where im sitting its still pretty much the same old thing. no change means more lives lost 
what really gets me though is that foreigners can just come in but palestinians who live there cant even get press access 
. It's heartbreaking to hear about people like Dalia who died waiting to cross the border, it's just not fair 
. The fact that foreign journalists can't even get in is a major concern, it limits our understanding of what's really going on there 
. Can we please do better?
32 lives lost rn... its all so frustrating 
What if these people could've been saved with a liver transplant or something? 
I don't get why they can't have all these international journalists inside Gaza. Like, how are we supposed to understand what's going on if we can't even go there ourselves? 
. 12 people crossing into Egypt is a start, but we need to see real progress, like safe access to hospitals and a full-blown ceasefire 
. We need to see more action, like a coordinated effort from all parties involved to end this senseless violence 
. The EU's optimism is understandable, but we can't afford to get our hopes up too high only to be let down again 
. We need a sustained effort to bring about lasting change in Gaza, not just another temporary reprieve 
the situation in Gaza is heartbreaking 
its like they're stuck in a never ending nightmare 
but i guess thats what happens wen u dont hv no peace 
at least thas some hope 4 the people on both sides 2 come together 
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for Gaza... I mean, on one hand, that 12 people got to cross over and get some medical help after so long is like, super welcome 
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. I'm still salty about the fact that journalists can't even get in there safely, you feel? It's like, how can you have a lasting ceasefire when reporters can't report on it?