Explained/ What is Rafah crossing and why is it crucial for Gazans amid Israel-Hamas war?

One of the epicenters of the Israel-Hamas war is the Rafah border crossing which is located between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. After the Israeli authorities urged the Gazans to evacuate the northern part of the strip, thousands of Palestinians headed to the border crossing with the aim of seeking refuge. Multiple international organisations and countries are considering the crossing as one of the only doors to send aid to struggling civilians in region which is touted as an open prison. 

However, the political turmoil between Egypt and Israel has kept the crossing almost inaccessible to both the Gazans and the international community. With the Israeli authorities shutting off the water, electricity, food and fuel in the region, the border crossing in the south is considered as the last hope for 2 million Gazans who are in disarray. Here’s a look at what makes the Rafah border so significant.

What is the Rafah border crossing?

The crossing. which represents the only potential exit for 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, has been a major factor in the political tussle between Israel and Egypt. Currently, Egypt controls the crossing under a 2007 agreement with Israel. However, supplies entering Gaza through Rafah still require approval from Israel making matters extremely complicated. It is important to note that there are only two other border crossings from and into Gaza. While the first one is the Erez crossing which connects northern Gaza to Israel, another is Kerem Shalom, a solely commercial goods junction with Israel in southern Gaza. Both these borders were shut down making Rafah the only crossing that connects Palestinians to the rest of the world.

The crossing lies at the southern end of Gaza on the border with Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. The broad region which is mainly made up of desert has been the site of fighting between the  Egyptian military and jihadist militants over the past decade. The Egyptian side of the crossing is filled with the country’s military who are stationed there to prevent civilians and militants from operating in the area.

What makes the crossing so important?

On October 7, Hamas that governs Gaza attacked the Erez crossing in a surprise assault on Southern Israel. In wake of this, Israeli administration shut down the two border crossings making Rafah the only border where Gazans could seek refuge. Amid the chaos, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said last week that it was directing international aid flights for Gaza to El-Arish airport in northern Sinai, and dozens of lorries carrying fuel and humanitarian goods were stationed on the Egyptian side of the crossing. However, the Egyptian authorities, including President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, have expressed concerns over Palestinians fleeing into northern Sinai. Not only this, the Egyptian government claimed that it is Israel which is stopping the aid from entering the crossing, The Guardian reported.  

How has access to the crossing changed over time?

In 1982, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty which eventually led to the Jewish nation's withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula that it had captured from Egypt in 1967. Israel then opened the Rafah crossing and controlled it until it withdrew from Gaza in 2005. When Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, the crossing came under the control of the European Union which worked closely with Egyptian officials. According to CNN, between 2005 and 2007, some 450,000 passengers used the crossing with an average of about 1,500 people per day. After multiple bombardments in the region, the border crossing came under the control of Egypt.

What is the current situation?

Amid the Israel-Hamas war, reports started to emerge that the United States had been pressuring Egypt to establish a humanitarian corridor for civilians and foreign nationals stuck in Gaza. While Egypt said that it won’t allow refugees to flood its own territories, Cairo has urged Israel to allow the delivery of aid to Gazans. Earlier this week, reports emerged that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire after being pressured by Egypt and the US. However, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s office dismissed the reports and made it clear that no ceasefire had been announced in the region.

Opening the border is complicated given the number of parties involved in the political tussle. It would require the approval of Egypt and Hamas, which directly control the crossing, as well as an okay from Israel, which has been bombing Gaza, including Rafah’s vicinity. However, things changed on Wednesday after Israel said that it would allow Egypt to deliver limited humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The announcement to allow water, food and other supplies comes as fury over the blast at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Hospital spread across the Middle East, the Associated Press reported.