After almost two years closed, the prospect of reopening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt has stirred deep emotions among displaced Palestinians, people needing medical care abroad, and relatives longing to reunite.
For years, the Rafah crossing was the only way in or out of Gaza not controlled by Israel, making it a symbol of hope and connection for Palestinians. But Israeli troops occupied the Gaza side of the border in 2024, allowing few people out, and leaving some Palestinians stranded abroad.
The Israeli government said on Sunday it would open the Rafah crossing once it had received the remains of its last hostage, Ran Gvili, which were brought back to Israel the next day. Some Palestinians are now making plans to cross - in both directions.
Leaving Gaza
Mohammad Abu Jahl, 34, is among those planning to depart, having tried unsuccessfully to leave Gaza through the Karam Abu Salem crossing with Israel. “The decision for me, my wife, and our two children to leave is final,” he told The National.
“We love Gaza, but what has happened isn’t simple. There’s no place left for us to stay,” he said. If ordinary people are allowed through, even under strict conditions, he and his family will be among the first to register.
Iyad Al Dremli, 45, has two reasons to long for an open border. His daughter Shams was injured in her eye during shelling in Gaza city; doctors recommended treatment abroad, but the closure of the Rafah crossing blocked that path.
His son Hossam and his wife, meanwhile, have been in Qatar since Hossam was also wounded. Mr Al Dremli, who described Gaza as “our city,” said that even if life there remains hard, the chance to be together with family is worth everything.
Health officials in Gaza say 20,000 people are waiting for treatment abroad. Palestinians reacted angrily to previous Israeli suggestions that Gazans could be allowed out but not in, fearing a design to push them off their land for good.
The failure to open the crossing is regarded as an unfulfilled element of US President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan for Gaza. Some medical evacuations took place during a previous ceasefire from January to March 2025.
… and returning
Some long to return to Gaza after being stranded abroad. Hassan Al Zomor, 29, suffered the heartbreak of separation after leaving the territory in March 2024, expecting to return soon. The closure of Rafah kept him away as his father died and his mother's health deteriorated.
“I am waiting for the crossing to open so I can embrace my mother and visit my father’s grave,” he told The National. Israeli restrictions on what people can carry, or how many bags they can have, do not matter to him. All he wants is to be home with his people, even if that means living in a tent, he said.
Ibrahim Al Hayek, 42, also assumed his time away in Egypt would be temporary. “I told myself two or three months, and then we could return,” he said.
But that was nearly two years ago. Stranded in Egypt with his family, the costs of rent, schooling, and everyday life overwhelmed them. Now, with news of Rafah’s reopening, their decision is clear: they will return to Gaza as soon as the crossing allows.
“Our home in western Gaza was half destroyed,” he explained, “but we’ve prepared it as best we could so we can live there again.” Despite the broken infrastructure and the lack of normal life there right now, Gaza remains the place closest to his heart.
