Rafah reopening bogged down by chaos as Palestinians struggle to cross
The first week of Rafah’s partial reopening saw far fewer Palestinians cross than expected, with about 12 per direction on opening day and a peak around 40 on the best day. Many Gaza medevac patients were blocked from returning to Gaza despite approvals. Gaza health officials say roughly 20,000 patients await medical travel, and about 1,000 have died waiting. Palestinians describe gruelling, multi‑step security checks at Egyptian, EU, and Israeli checkpoints, with reports of belongings confiscated and mistreatment; Israel denies mistreatment and says checks are coordinated with Egypt and the EU, while observers note the system is still being set up under existing agreements. Families reunite amid hardship, but many urge Gaza residents not to leave.
