Global & US Headlines
Israel Begins Pilot Reopening of Gaza’s Rafah Crossing Under EU-Egypt Oversight
On 1 Feb 2026 Israel activated a EU–Egypt monitored “pilot” at Rafah, reinstating strictly vetted pedestrian traffic for the first time since it seized the crossing in May 2024.
Focusing Facts
- COGAT said the gate entered test mode on 1 Feb 2026, with two-way passage of pre-cleared residents scheduled to start 2 Feb.
- Israeli officers will remotely approve every traveller via facial-recognition, limiting flow to roughly 50–150 people daily, according to Israeli media leaks.
- EUBAM police and Egyptian staff physically re-deployed to the terminal—their first return since their January 2025 attempt—while IDF troops stayed north of the Yellow Line.
Context
Border openings often signal shifts in wider power balances: when Israel withdrew from the Philadelphi Corridor in 2005, the EU briefly monitored Rafah before fleeing when Hamas took Gaza in 2007. Today’s reboot echoes that experiment but with Israel retaining digital control, reminiscent of Britain’s 1920s Cairo Agreement that kept imperial oversight while delegating local administration. Strategically, the move aligns with a century-long pattern—from the 1918 Allenby occupation to 2023’s Gaza war—of external guarantors trying to square Israeli security with Palestinian mobility. Whether this pilot endures will shape the post-war settlement: if it expands to the 600-truck aid target in Trump’s 20-point plan, it could loosen Gaza’s siege; if skirmishes like the late-January tunnel clash persist, Rafah may snap shut again, entrenching the enclave’s isolation for another generation. In the long arc of 100 years, control of choke-points—Suez in 1956, Berlin Checkpoints in 1961, Rafah today—often foretells which actors ultimately wield sovereignty; this cautious reopening shows Israel is not yet ready to relinquish that key lever.
Perspectives
Israeli right-leaning, government-supportive media
e.g., Israel Hayom English — Portrays the tightly controlled reopening of Rafah as a strategic win that restores Israel’s ability to seal Hamas’ former smuggling artery and vindicates Netanyahu’s refusal to bow to foreign pressure. Minimises humanitarian ramifications and frames any concession as a reluctant favour, reflecting ideological incentives to defend Netanyahu and justify prolonged Israeli military presence.
International humanitarian-focused outlets and wire services
e.g., RFI, Yahoo/AFP — Describe the crossing’s ‘pilot’ reopening as a narrow humanitarian lifeline for desperate patients and students while stressing that aid flows remain woefully insufficient after years of war. Emphasises Gaza’s suffering and Israeli restrictions, potentially under-reporting Hamas’ security threats because their mission is to foreground civilian plight and press for more aid access.
Mainstream Israeli centrist media
e.g., The Jerusalem Post — Expresses concern over ceasefire breaches, citing both Hamas tunnel activity and Israeli strikes, and urges all parties to protect civilians to safeguard Trump’s peace plan. Relies heavily on IDF briefings, which may tilt coverage toward Israel’s narrative and understate Palestinian casualty figures, reflecting a domestic audience’s security priorities.