Rafah Border Crossing
The Rafah Border Crossing or Rafah Crossing Point is the sole crossing point between Egypt and Palestine's Gaza Strip and Gaza's sole border point with a country other than Israel.
The Rafah crossing was opened by Israel after the 1979 peace treaty and remained under Israeli control until 2005, when it was transferred to Egyptian, Palestinian Authority, and EU control, giving Palestinians partial control of an international border for the first time. In 2007, after Hamas seized Gaza, the EU withdrew, and Israel imposed a complete blockade, effectively sealing Gaza. In the same year, Egypt closed the Rafah crossing. Since then, the Rafah crossing has only opened intermittently for Palestinian movement.
Under a 2007 agreement between Egypt and Israel, Egypt controls the crossing but imports through the Rafah crossing require Israeli approval. Israel took control of the Rafah Border Crossing on May 7, 2024, during Gaza war and withdrew in Jan 2025 as part of ceasefire agreement. The crossing was later reoccupied during Operation Might and Sword on 18 March. It remains occupied today and is currently manned by the Gaza Division. The reopening of the Rafah crossing in both directions as part of Trump's Gaza war peace plan will follow the procedures established under the [|January 19, 2025, agreement]. On 12 October 2025, trucks entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing; two days later, Israel again closed the crossing indefinitely.
Rafah Land Port
The Rafah land port, known as the "Salah al Din Gate" is located at the original Rafah crossing on the Salah al-Din Road, the main highway of Gaza from Erez to Rafah.Before Israel's disengagement from Gaza on 11 September 2005, the main border crossing at Rafah between Egypt and Gaza was controlled by Israeli authorities. Under the November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, administration was handed over to the Palestinian Authority, monitored by the European Union Border Assistance Mission. Rafah land port was bombed by Israel in October 2009 allegedly to destroy tunnels.
A new Rafah Crossing Point, sometimes referred to in Arabic as "Al Awda", was constructed south of the town of Rafah. Separately, a commercial gate—known as the "Salah al-Din Gate"—was first opened in 2018 along Salah al-Din Road and is used for truck traffic between Egypt and Gaza.
History
1906 Ottoman-British border agreement
By the Ottoman–British agreement of 1 October 1906, a border between Ottoman-ruled Palestine and British-ruled Egypt, from Taba to Rafah, was agreed upon.1948–1979: Occupations and wars
From 1948, Gaza was occupied by Egypt. Consequently, a Gaza–Egypt border no longer existed. In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel conquered both the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, both becoming occupied territories.1982–2005: Israel-Egypt border at Rafah
In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty that eventually returned the Sinai, which borders the Gaza Strip, to Egyptian control. As part of that treaty, a 100-meter-wide strip of land known as the Philadelphi Corridor was established as a buffer zone between Gaza and Egypt. In the Peace Treaty, the re-created Gaza–Egypt border was drawn across the city of Rafah. When Israel withdrew from the Sinai in 1982, Rafah was divided into an Egyptian and a Palestinian part, splitting up families, separated by barbed-wire barriers.2005: Israel disengages; Egypt-Palestinian border
On 16 February 2005, the Israeli parliament approved the plan for the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Israel withdrew from Gaza in September 2005, after which the Rafah Border Crossing was temporarily closed. Egypt continued to exercise control on the Egyptian side of the Gaza–Egypt border. Under the November 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority assumed administrative responsibility for the Gazan side of the border crossing, with EU monitors overseeing operations.The Philadelphi Accord between Israel and Egypt, based on the principles of the 1979 peace treaty, provided for the deployment of 750 Egyptian border guards along the length of the border. Both Egypt and Israel pledged to work together to prevent terrorism, arms smuggling, and other illegal cross-border activities. The agreement also granted Israel the authority to dispute the entry of any individual through the crossing.
The AMA principles for Rafah stipulate that "Rafah will also be used for export of goods to Egypt". However, a confidential PLO document revealed that Egypt under president Hosni Mubarak did not permit such exports. All imports of goods were diverted to the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom border crossing, reportedly because Israel threatened to exclude Gaza from the customs union over concerns about the Paris Protocol implementation. The Palestinians agreed to the diversion in order to reduce Israeli interference at Rafah and maximize their sovereignty. Although intended as a temporary measure, imports through Rafah were never implemented, leading to the rise of a smuggling tunnel economy.
Israel consistently tried to turn the Kerem Shalom border crossing-adjacent to Egypt-into Gaza's main commercial or even passenger crossing between Gaza and Israel. The Palestinian side opposed this, fearing that it would give Israel de facto control over the Gaza-Egypt border or potentially replace Rafah altogether.
On 26 November 2005, the Rafah crossing opened for the first time under the European Union's supervision. The Israeli army maintained video surveillance from a nearby base and retained control over the movement of all goods and trade into and out of Gaza. The agreement allowed Gazans with Palestinian ID cards to pass through. For seven months, the crossing functioned smoothly, with around 1,320 people crossing each day. The reopening of the Rafah Crossing allowed Palestinians greater freedom of movement and access to international travel. It also opened possibilities for trade that could help revive the economy and improve humanitarian conditions. In addition, it gave the Palestinian Authority a chance to directly manage a border crossing and showcase the competence of its personnel.
From November 2005 to July 2007, the Rafah Crossing was jointly controlled by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, with the European Union monitoring Palestinian compliance on the Gaza side. In January 2006, Hamas won the Palestinian elections and subsequently formed a government. The Rafah Crossing operated daily until June 2006. However, the terms of the Agreement were regularly breached as Hamas representatives began transporting large sums of cash across the border from Egypt. Despite border checks identifying many of these transfers—often exceeding a million dollars—the EU BAM monitors lacked the authority to stop them from entering Gaza. Despite the strict security arrangements, the EU BAM presence failed to prevent certain wanted individuals from entering Gaza. In December 2005, several Hamas members previously expelled by Israel crossed the Rafah border, prompting Israeli protests. Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon warned of closing all Gaza border crossings if control measures were not upheld. Following talks with Israeli officials, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak pledged to enhance security at the crossing. Palestinian authorities, however, insisted that any holder of Palestinian citizenship had the right to pass through Rafah.
Closures of the border
2006 to 2007
On 23 June 2006, Israel issued security warnings that prevented European monitors from travelling to the terminal. In their absence, the Rafah crossing was required to close, leaving hundreds of Palestinians stranded. This was not the first time Israel had closed Rafah. In response, the Hamas-led PA Government threatened to terminate the Rafah border-crossing agreement if the border would not be reopened.On 25 June 2006, Palestinian militants attacked the Kerem Shalom border crossing and captured the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israel then closed the Rafah crossing, citing security concerns. It was subsequently opened only sporadically and without prior notice. Between then and June 2007, it remained closed for 265 days.
In 2007, Hamas seized control of the Gaza strip in a conflict with Fatah. Israel announced that it was suspending the Crossings Agreement. The Palestinian personnel designated to operate the crossing under the Palestinian Authority could no longer access the site after Hamas seized control of Gaza. Israel opposed reopening the crossing, citing its inability to oversee who was passing through. Egypt kept the border shut as the Crossings Agreement could not be implemented under the new conditions. The European monitoring team also withdrew, in line with the EU's policy of non-engagement with Hamas. Consequently, since June 2007, the crossing has remained closed under the terms of the original agreement. Egypt, although able to open its side, has largely refrained from doing so, effectively aligning with Israel's blockade policy.
On 12 February 2007, PLO Negotiatior Saeb Erekat complained in a letter to the Israeli Government and the Head of the EU Mission about Israel, closing the Rafah Crossing Point on most days by indirect measures, such as "preventing access by the EU BAM to the RCP through Kerem Shalom". A 2007 Palestinian background paper mentions the EU concern over crises, "most often caused by the continual Israeli closure of the Crossing". On 7 May 2007, the issue of the Israeli closure of Rafah and Kerem as well was raised at a Coordination and Evaluation meeting. The movement of ambulances via Rafah was prohibited. The EU BAM proposed the use of "shuttle" ambulances at the Crossing, requiring two additional transfers of the patients between the ambulances.
In June 2007, the Rafah Crossing was closed by the Egyptian authorities after Hamas' takeover of the Gaza Strip. Due to the lack of security the EU monitors pulled out of the region, and Egypt agreed with Israel to shut down the Rafah Crossing. The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has declared that the Rafah Crossing should remain closed until the control by the Palestinian Presidential Guard is restored.