Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt partially opens
02-11-2023
11:08 AM
1 min read
Why in news?
- The Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has opened for the first time since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in early October.
- At least seven injured people from Gaza entered Egypt in ambulances for treatment.
What’s in today’s article?
- Rafah border crossing
What is the Rafah border crossing?
- About
- The crossing is the main entrance and exit point to the tiny Palestinian enclave from Egypt. It is controlled by Egypt.
- It is the southernmost post of exit from Gaza and borders Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
- Other two border crossing in Gaza
- There are only two other border crossings from and into the Gaza Strip.
- One is, Erez, a crossing into Israel in northern Gaza, which is for people.
- The other is Kerem Shalom, a solely commercial goods junction with Israel in southern Gaza.
- Both of these crossings are shut.
What is the current situation at the crossing?
- After weeks of diplomatic negotiations, a Qatar-mediated deal among Egypt, Israel, and Hamas was reached that allowed the partial opening of the Rafah border crossing.
- Under the agreement, Egypt will allow the entry of 88 critically injured Palestinians and around 500 foreign nationals.
- Israel and Egypt have agreed upon a list of people with foreign passports who can leave Gaza.
Why is the Rafah border crossing important in the conflict?
- In response to the cross-border infiltration by Hamas fighters on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 Israelis, Israel imposed a total blockade of Gaza.
- The Jewish state shut down Erez and Kerem Shalom until further notice, leaving the Rafah border as the only way into and out of the Strip for people seeking to flee.
- It is also the only crossing point for humanitarian aid.
Why is access across Rafah restricted by Egypt?
- Egypt is worried about safety near its border with Gaza in northeastern Sinai.
- In this region, the country faced an Islamist insurgency that peaked after 2013 and has now largely been suppressed.
- Since Hamas took control in Gaza in 2007, Egypt has helped enforce a blockade of the enclave and heavily restricted the flow of people and goods.
- In 2008, tens of thousands of Palestinians crossed into Sinai after Hamas blasted holes in border fortifications, prompting Egypt to build a stone and cement wall.
- Egypt has acted as a mediator between Israel and Palestinian factions during past conflicts.
- But in those situations, it has also locked down the border, allowing aid to enter and medical evacuees to leave but preventing any large-scale movement of people.
Why are Arab states so reluctant to take in Palestinians?
- Arab countries have deep-rooted fears that Israel’s latest war with Hamas in Gaza could spark a new wave of permanent displacements.
- Egypt, the only Arab state to share a border with Gaza, and Jordan, which flanks the Israeli-occupied West Bank, have both warned against Palestinians being forced off their land.
- For Palestinians, the thought of being forced to leave the land where they hope to establish their own country reminds them of the "Nakba," which means "catastrophe" in Arabic.
- This term refers to the time in 1948 when many Palestinians had to flee or were driven away from their homes during the war that happened when Israel was established.
Q1) Where is Sinai peninsula?
Sinai Peninsula, Peninsula, northeastern Egypt. Located between the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba at the northern end of the Red Sea, it covers some 23,500 sq mi (61,000 sq km). Its southern region is mountainous and includes Mount Sinai, while its northern two-thirds is an arid plateau known as the Sinai Desert.
Q2) Where is Erez crossing?
The Erez Crossing is a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel. It's located at the northern end of the Gaza Strip, between the Israeli kibbutz of Erez and the Palestinian town of Beit Hanoun.
