The crossing between the strip and Egypt reopened in both directions on a limited trial basis early Sunday, after prolonged and repeated delays by Tel Aviv.
Extra News TV said the initial batch of returnees crossed into Gaza amid heightened coordination, while AlQahera News reported the arrival of ambulances at the Palestinian Red Crescent Hospital in Khan Younis in preparation for transferring wounded and ill patients from the territory.
North Sinai Governor Khaled Megawer said on Monday that 50 injured and ill Palestinians, accompanied by 84 escorts, are expected to arrive from Gaza for treatment in Egyptian hospitals
The governor described the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement, proposed by Egypt and reached under Egyptian leadership on Egyptian soil, as clear evidence of the success of Cairo’s mediation efforts.
In remarks to Al-Qahera New channel, Megawer said completing the first phase of the agreement and moving into the second phase, despite its complexities, had been considered a distant goal by many political analysts.
Megawer said he was highly optimistic about the continuation of the second phase and progress beyond it, despite challenges and obstruction, adding that the Sharm El-Sheikh peace agreement had opened a new chapter for the Palestinian cause.
Hospitals in North Sinai and neighbouring governorates were placed on maximum alert as the crossing began effective operations, with emergency, intensive care, and surgical departments fully mobilized to receive injured Palestinians, according to Egyptian media.
Egyptian authorities have instructed central and field hospitals in North Sinai to free up beds, reinforce blood banks with additional supplies, and increase stocks of medicines and medical equipment, particularly for severe injuries and critical cases.
Additional medical teams specializing in general surgery, orthopaedics, anesthesiology, intensive care, and nursing have also been deployed to ensure immediate treatment upon patients’ arrival in Egypt.
At the Rafah crossing, quarantine and medical facilities have completed final readiness checks, with ambulance teams positioned and entry routes organized to ensure the rapid transfer of patients to designated hospitals based on the severity of their conditions.
The Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC) said it had raised its readiness to the highest level at its humanitarian service centres at Rafah, preparing to provide psychological support for children, escort services for the wounded, elderly, and disabled, wheelchair assistance, and family-link restoration services.
The organization has also set up a mobile humanitarian kitchen to distribute hot and dry meals to returnees and patients upon arrival, alongside winter clothing and personal care supplies.
On Sunday, the ERC dispatched its 128th “Zad Al-Izza: From Egypt to Gaza” convoy, carrying more than 6,280 tons of humanitarian aid.
The shipment included over 3,500 tons of food baskets and flour, around 1,330 tons of medical and relief supplies, about 50 tons of infant formula, and roughly 1,400 tons of fuel to support urgent needs inside Gaza.
Additional winter assistance was also sent, comprising more than 15,170 items of winter clothing, over 6,500 blankets, 200 portable toilets, and 1,020 tents to shelter displaced families, the ERC said.
Amjad Al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network, welcomed the trial opening of the crossing, describing it as “a humanitarian glimmer of hope” for thousands of patients and wounded in Gaza who require urgent medical evacuation.
In a phone interview with the programme Al-Hayah Al-Youm on Al-Hayah TV late on Sunday, He said more than 20,000 Palestinians remain in need of treatment abroad, including thousands requiring life-saving interventions.
Al-Shawa praised Egypt’s refusal to open the crossing in one direction only or accept arrangements that would violate the 2005 agreement governing Rafah, warning that such moves could entrench Israeli control or enable forced displacement.
He also said evacuation priorities are coordinated among the World Health Organization, Gaza’s health authorities, and Egypt’s Ministry of Health, based on available capacity, while calling for greater international support to expand medical evacuations.
Under a ceasefire agreement signed in mid-October to end the war in Gaza, Israel was expected to reopen the Rafah crossing, Gaza’s main gateway to Egypt. However, Israel, which has bombed and controlled the Palestinian side of the crossing since May 2024, repeatedly delayed the move.
Since the start of the war in October 2023, Rafah has faced prolonged closures and severe restrictions, sharply limiting civilian movement and the entry of humanitarian aid.
While Egypt has kept the crossing open from its side, operations have depended on security conditions, Israeli approvals, and international coordination.
The crossing remains a critical lifeline for medical evacuations, humanitarian relief, and limited civilian travel, with phased and trial reopenings closely watched for their impact on wounded Palestinians and aid flows into the besieged territory.
Governor Megawar reaffirmed Egypt’s readiness not only to host the reconstruction conference and facilitate the entry of rebuilding materials from Egyptian territory into Gaza, but also to contribute financially to the rebuilding of the territory.
He stressed that achieving a two-state solution and establishing a Palestinian state in line with international legitimacy and United Nations resolutions remains a strategic objective for Egypt.
This, he added, is not only to safeguard Egypt’s national security but also to ensure stability and security across the Middle East.
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